Rose Tinted
by Kanarah J
Summary: The ongoing feud between an over worked doctor, and a less than excited gift shop employee is put to a halt as a life threatening disease overcomes the hospital. Perhaps the antidote is companionship... LXC
1. Gift Shop

Hello everyone! It feels marvelous to be back again!

As for this story, as you will notice, it isn't a third instalment to my previous um... "collection," but rather, something a little bit different. It still revolves around the reluctant-to-start-relationship between Leon and Cloud, though in a very different setting.

The whole thing spawned after watching a _mockumentary _on Small Pox practically four months ago. That's really my only excuse even though there's no trace—pardon the pun—of Small Pox in this fic...whatever.

I also decided to make the story a bit more light hearted—strange enough for a story including an_ illness_—because...well...hey...why not? Contrast builds character!

All I can say is make of it what you will, and I hope you enjoy it just as much as Acov and OPtR!

* * *

"$4.37 is your change." Cloud said cringing at the sound of his own voice. The woman smiled with appreciation, admiring her bouquet of freshly cut roses.

"Thank you, he'll be so happy to see these when he wakes up."

Resisting the urge to slam the change drawer shut, he smiled and left it open to slam closed later. "I'm sure he will ma'am."

She smiled at him again and walked down the long white hallway.

As soon as he couldn't see her anymore, Cloud slammed the change drawer shut as hard as he could, nearly knocking over the tip jar in the process.

"Don't be such a..._hateful_ person." Sora said hopping down from a ladder with heart shaped vase. "It's not her fault you despise the human race."

Cloud glared at him. "I don't despise the human race. I just despise _you_."

Sora smiled coyly. "Thanks! Now I get to report you to Riku!

"Riku doesn't need to know anything."

"Too late, he already heard it." Riku said airily, carrying a large cardboard a box.

"Aw man! Where did you come from?"

"The delivery truck."

Sora just smiled. "What's in the box?"

"What else? Flowers." He set the box down on the counter. "Cloud, stop despising Sora, and Sora stop antagonizing Cloud."

"Oh, we were just messing around," Sora said taking the box that Riku had set down. "What kind of flowers are these anyway?"

"Moonshadow carnations and roses. We're low budget here."

"Cool! We've got some delphiniums left in the back, they'll look perfect together with a few of those carnations...and maybe something green to add depth..." Sora prattled on, already heading to the back of the shop. Cloud rolled his eyes and returned back to the cash register. Quite obviously, this was not his idea of a dream career.

Riku smiled good-naturedly and patted him on the shoulder. "It's not so bad."

"You have no idea what I have to put up with."

"You were here with Sora all morning. I have a pretty good idea."

"Trade me. I'd much rather work the other end."

"That's what you said the week before last when I traded you this for stuffed animals and balloons."

"I'm ready to have my old responsibilities back."

"You've only been working with Sora for seven days!"

"Times change."

Riku sighed. "...If you insist. Anything to keep you from killing the customers."

"Great, I'll give you my resignation papers tomorrow."

"You do that." He smiled, and followed Sora into the back room.

Cloud, now mildly content, took his seat in front of the other cash register.

The three of them worked in a gift shop within the hospital that was divided up into two sections: flowers and gifts. On the gift shop side was a coffee maker— which was Riku's idea to make visitors more comfortable. All three of them were forced to wear horridly atrocious striped pink aprons to match the decor of the hospital. Many a time—today included—Cloud threatened to tear the thing off.

Despite the aprons and Cloud's ever changing jobs, he rather liked working there. It was small, but quaint in decor and the people he worked with weren't so bad either. The counter was a pastel teal with a sort of pinkish border that matched the stripes in the apron. The counter itself swooped around in an arc, and the place that swelled around divided it into the two sections.

On the side closest to the exit was the flower shop and on the other side was the gift shop. If one tried hard enough, Cloud discovered, one would not be able to see the other side. A happy finding in his determination to block all flowers from his line of vision.

Each of them had their separate jobs. Sora made the flower arrangements—enthusiastically so—Riku handled the gifts, coffee, and business aspects which included inventory and proceeds and Cloud was in charge of whatever he could stand at the moment.

Currently, Cloud was working in one of Riku's previous positions because as if the scent of flowers and the constant presence of pollen wasn't disgusting enough, he couldn't stand how utterly impossible Sora's enjoyment of the position had manifested into a sort of nauseating kindergarten carnival that threatened to drive Cloud all but mad.

Cloud liked Sora, he really did. He was nice, generous, and an all around good person. Earlier's bout had just been a harmless expression of Cloud's boredom and just used to keep himself entertained. However, when the time came to create a new bouquet—usually every other day—Sora would sort take it to the extreme.

That was all that needed to be said about that.

Riku was a generally level headed person with a surprisingly high amount of patience. How he could put up with all the cantankerous customers and still have enough energy to prepare coffee for the next day was so far beyond Cloud he couldn't even see it and the fact that Riku seemed to _enjoy_ Sora's botanical whims made him seem almost inhuman.

Cloud himself had to have been one of the more _mismatched_ employees for the job. He wasn't too fond of people, and he wasn't what one would call a patient person either. Thrice he had banned certain customers from the shop simply because they couldn't pick out a bouquet in a speedy fashion.

He tried his hardest not to be outwardly rude, but on occasion his mask of kindness would slip and Riku would have to do some fast talking to keep the customers from being too offended.

In fact, the only reason he had chosen this job in the first place, was because times were tough, and the gift shop was the only place of work that hired within a five mile radius. A job was a job, and Cloud had made the deadly mistake of thinking 'how bad could it be?'

It was still a horribly feminine job, but after the first couple of weeks or so, he had gotten used to the establishment and it had grown on him just a bit. He now mainly kept his air of cantankerousness to save face for his masculinity.

But anyway, Cloud had his new post, and was relatively pleased at the moment. He leaned just far enough back in the stool to where his shoulders touched the row of shelves behind him, and he could rest his head on one of the stuffed animals. He closed his eyes and could smell the fresh coffee brewing just off to his right. If this was all he had to do, he couldn't remember why he had traded the job in the first place.

All Cloud had to do was hand out a stuffed animal or two, blow up some balloons and hand out coffee. It was far easier than having to contend with the florally excited Sora and his criticisms on Cloud's lack of artistic skill. Yes, this was a job Cloud could definitely handle.

"_Excuse me_, can I get a cup of coffee?"

Cloud snapped his eyes open. With the smooth voice that had interrupted his moment of reprieve he suddenly remembered why he had quit the job in the first place. Standing in front of him, was none other than Leon, a doctor that happened to work in this particular hospital.

It was this individual that had made Cloud despise all medical health care professionals in the entire continent.

It was this individual that made Cloud make immature gagging noises every time he walked by the register last week.

It was this individual that made Cloud trade Riku for the job and indirectly started his anthropophobia.

Cloud could never bring himself to refer to the man as _Doctor Leon_ because it sounded funny and really didn't fit his personality. More appropriately, he should have been called "The lab coat wearing swamp demon from the Blue Lagoon."

"...Oh...you."

Leon tipped a sardonically curious eyebrow. "So you've returned to your previous post this week eh?"

"Now regretfully so."

"I just want some coffee today. Exchanging _pleasantries_ with you doesn't interest me in the slightest."

"Good. You weren't going to get any."

Needless to say, Cloud had a distinct disapproval of the doctor. Ever since the store had first started selling coffee. On his rare and few breaks, Leon would come over, order some coffee and leave.

There was something about the way that he came over though. It was something about his walk and the way he carried himself that Cloud disfavored.

Leon wasn't at all unattractive and not particularly foreboding in his appearance. In fact, he looked rather decent in his stark white lab coat and his with his brown hair hanging frowzily neat at his shoulders.

But Cloud had noticed the first day that the doctor had a bit of arrogance to him—enough showed to contend with Cloud's own air of haughtiness—and knowing how Cloud was, he accidently on purpose muttered something rude. The doctor overheard, shot something back equally as tactless and this was how the two had started their growing disdain for each other.

Of course, Cloud would never think that he was the one to start the mini-feud in the first place.

Cloud had worked a total of fourteen days—starting after Riku set up the coffee machine and Leon began coming—before he thought he would have to send the doctor to the very hospital he worked in. He was the first day of the third week that Cloud asked Riku who had gladly switched him positions to the flower shop he now despised.

In only a weeks time, the experience had been so awful Cloud had forgotten why he hated the gift shop and switched back again, only to be reminded why he hated it so much in the first place...Leon.

"You probably haven't the slightest clue how to be pleasant anyway."

Cloud's upper lip curled as he poured a full tablespoon of coffee into a Styrofoam cup and slammed it onto the counter. "Refills are a dollar thirty three."

"You'd have to properly _fill_ it first, now wouldn't you?"

"Maybe this is our new regular size."

"Maybe you just don't know how to pour coffee."

Cloud smirked. "You calling me stupid?"

Leon smirked in return. "I'm saying you have minimal cranial development."

Cloud barely heard a "here we go again," from the other side of the shop, but ignored it and moved the coffee pot over the cup. He then slowly poured another tablespoon, then another and another with deliberate slowness until the cup was full.

Leon's amusement was growing with each additional tablespoon, until he almost chuckled.

"Thank you."

"Come again!"

Leon raised the cup at him in parting, and headed down the hallway.

Cloud replaced the coffee pot and folded his arms in smug satisfaction. He would not be trading Riku for another job. He would keep his current post, and enjoy this war with the doctor.

* * *

Confession

Though I stressed earlier that this story wasn't part of the ACoV and OPtR ..._communal_, it doesn't mean it's dead.

I simply put, through the gentle persuasion of Hito Me Bore (my twin sister) and my own lack of self control, BAM! I wrote a trilogy! Imagine that!

So, the story continues...This _should_ be the last installment. It's really a more detailed insight on Seifer's attack, and how suffering such abuse from someone is bound to put a damper on a real relationship.

So, If you would like, I'll post it. That's really it.

With that said, Please Review! Comments and criticisms are well appreciated!


	2. Prognosis

Hello everyone! Thank you for reading chapter two. You have no idea how happy that makes me..truly, you have no idea.T-T

**Wends-** Thank you so much! You were the first one to send me a review! I'm so glad you like my writing style, your review was so flattering! (I just ended the last three sentences with exclamation points...) I suppose I should post the third one then, eh? It'll be out...I dunno...eventually. I'll wait until this one gets good and started first.

**AquilaStrife**-I'm so glad to hear from you again! I love your reviews! I'm really glad you liked the first chapter. To be honest, I was a bit hesitant to post it...Anyway, I'll get the other one up eventually. Hope to hear from you again!

**animegirl999**-Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it! Your grin makes me grin!

I do hope this story is being enjoyed thus far by those of you who don't review as well. The hit count is way higher than the review count! Don't be scared! Review! If you don't it's like... a _hit _and run...ha! A pun!

Ahem, sorry. In any case, I own naught but the plot.

* * *

"Cloud, would you mind helping me out a little with this box?" Riku called from the delivery truck outside. "Sora's already got three, and I don't think I can carry any more!" There was a fit of coughing and a crash, followed by Riku asking if Sora was alright. 

Cloud barely heard the noise from outside and dimly wondered if he should ignore it. After all, if he'd told Riku once, he'd told him a million times, he did not favor being around flowers. Carrying them inside the flower shop directly violated his statement, and Cloud was none too happy about contradicting himself.

Still though, Riku sounded a little desperate, and Cloud found himself glumly slipping off the bench to help his fellow employee with the crates in the moving truck.

The delivery truck was parked right outside the back door for easy access, however Riku seemed to behaving anything but an easy time. His strong arms were holding four boxes of flowers Cloud didn't care to recognize and he was struggling to keep the door open with his foot.

"Hey, could you give me a hand here?"

Cloud shrugged and gripped the doorknob so that Riku could enter and set the boxes down on the counter.

"I don't see why you insist on ordering all these...plants. No one's going to buy this many."

Riku shrugged, already up to get a second load. "I don't order them, they just keep coming. Besides, Sora would have a hissy fit if we attempted to sell anything but the freshest..." he looked down at one of the boxes. "...Mini Gerbera Daisies."

Both of them fought back a snort as they headed down to the delivery truck.

As Far as Cloud was concerned, he had just wasted twenty seven minutes unloading a truck full of flowers into a store room that he would never go near. Sora seemed pleased enough, and Riku seemed indifferent, but Cloud... he headed directly to the mens room to wash off that revolting pollen clinging tenaciously to the already hideous uniform. He did not like flowers, not in the slightest, and he would continue telling his co-workers that until they finally understood.

Laggardly returning to his post, he sat down on the stool and poured himself a cup of coffee. He realized that he wasn't really _supposed_ to drink it, but there were no regulatory rules posted to otherwise hitch his actions, so he reached for the sugar.

The counter that he worked at wasn't especially neat, as Cloud really saw no need to clean something that was inevitably going to get dirty again. The counter was riddled with empty sugar packets—Cloud's own use of the sugar had doubled the size and now the pile was tumbling over itself—and dirty plastic spoons were hanging off the counter, threatening to drip little droplets of coffee onto the freshly waxed floor. Even the lids that came perfectly stacked were teetering over.

The sugar substitute was hopelessly jumbled in with the regular sugar, and between the two types of sugar and the non dairy coffee creamer, it was impossible to tell what was actually being put into the coffee.

His brow arched in consideration. Perhaps an unkept counter was a sort of turn off to customers—a thought that nearly branded itself as a good thing. Then he thought about how Riku would nag him about it later on. With a mixture of boredom and disdain he retrieved a napkin from the front drawer, and pushed the garbage into the giant barrel of a trash can off to the left. His work for the day was finished.

Dropping in a plastic spoon to blend his mixture of sugar that happened to contain coffee, he sat back in the stool and breathed out a sigh of relief as though wiping down a counter was equivalent to a hard day's work.

Then he flicked his eyes upward and dejectedly saw the approaching form of the doctor, apparently there to ruin his break.

"Great," Cloud muttered. Already irritated by the delivery that morning, he wasn't particularly ready to exude kindness. Perhaps he should have left the counter dirty.

"Coffee please." Leon said with a distinct frown.

"We're out. I drank it all."

Leon's eyes glazed over him with ennui. "Then that full coffee pot over there must be a product of my imagination."

Cloud flicked his gaze in the direction of the pot, grimaced, then replied "Probably."

"Cloud!" Riku shouted from the back room.

He frowned and snatched a coffee cup off the stack.

Leon reached in his pocket for some money, all the while muttering just loud enough for Cloud to hear. "Why do they let people like you thrive when there are so many intelligent, hopeful ones that could use the resources you consume?"

Cloud beared his teeth. It wasn't even noon and he was already getting hot under the collar. "Because it's people like me that give gifts to the families of the patients you kill!"

Leon's brow puckered in annoyance. "The patients I kill?"

"That's right! So if I were you—"

"If you were me the patients really would be killed. Now put a lid on your mouth and my coffee so I can get back to my job...which by the way benefits humanity." There was a flicker of embarrassment with his slight loss of control, but it soon passed as he stared belligerently at the man behind the counter.

"WHAT?" Cloud roared ready to jump over the counter. "I served you coffee you prudish pediatrician! Show some gratitude!"

Leon snatched his coffee off the counter. "Don't mistake ingratitude for personal disapproval." He turned around cooly and strolled down the hall.

Cloud's lower lip jutted out in irritation. The nerve of some customers. Especially that overly arrogant Leon. _Only _that overly arrogant Leon. He watched the slight swing in His stark white coat tails in an almost mocking manner, and just like that his resolve snapped.

Invigorated more than ever, and determined to have last word, he lifted his leg attempting to jump over counter. He had every intention of chasing that doctor down the hallway and pummeling him into those freshly waxed floor tiles. He had absolutely had it with that chesty doctor—his unreasonably short fuse had already hit the gunpowder.

"Come back here!" He screeched, but then he felt a pair of husky arms around his waist, forcefully pulling him back behind the counter where he lost his balance and fell, nearly hitting his head on the shelf.

"Will you cut that out!" Riku hissed, picking himself off of the floor, then extending down a hand to help Cloud up. "I don't understand how you chose to work in a public setting and have absolutely no manners at all!"

"He started it!" Cloud said defensively, dusting himself off. He dimly noted the bystanders that seemed a bit reluctant to order coffee.

"Well, please, _please_ don't finish it? I'll take my job back and put you with Sora if you keep acting this way." Riku bent down to pick up a white bear that had unceremoniously hit the floor.

Cloud could almost see the wicked grin spreading across Sora's face from behind the wall.

"Yeah...whatever."

"Maybe you should take a break."

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Riku's eyes narrowed. "You won't try to hurt the customers?"

"I won't try to hurt the customers."

"You won't chase them down the hall?"

"I won't chase them down the hall."

"And if Leon comes back you won't start a scene?"

"If Leon comes back I'll make him a patient at his own hospital."

"Cloud!"

"...And if Leon comes back I won't start a scene." He muttered, knowing he was telling a whole hearted lie. He had every intention of putting that uppity doctor in his own place—even thought logically it really made no sense—and he would do it with or without Riku's permission.

Riku could see the gears turning in Cloud's head, but decided to ignore it and exited to the back room.

* * *

Leon was sitting in his office, the desk stacked high with hundreds—though neatly placed—forms and reports and charts. This amount of work would normally cripple the forbearance of the most doctors, even when they usually enlisted the aid of a nurse or the receptionists to do it, but Leon was used to the amount of work and preferred to do it himself for fear of someone else's error. 

So he sat, scribbling away on the documents that made up his organized mess.

The office was small, but not too small so the stacks of paper made it look cluttered. There was a file cabinet with a fake green fern sitting on top—not of Leon's placing—and it sat right next to the door, which had dark green venetian blinds for privacy. Outside his name was neatly stenciled onto the glass, though it did little for him since he only saw it backwards.

His desk was pecan with a dark—almost black—varnish, not that he could see it, and he had a coat rack of the same wood right next to the file cabinet on which hung his spare lab coat.

Though entirely vapid in it's decor, Leon actually preferred his office to the brightly lit hallways, locker rooms and other departments of the main hospital.

This was his second home...aside from the occasional private meetings with patients, endless paperwork and unannounced intrusions—well, it was an office after all—the place was fairly pleasant.

There was a sharp rap at his door, and without an invitation, his colleague's crown of blonde hair poked in.

"Labs are in," Seifer said apathetically. He tossed the reports in Leon's direction, nearly missing the edge of the desk. "Whoever that is, he's gonna be paying the buck."

"My patient's financial obligations are none of your concern...Dr. Almasy."

"I was just saying." He said shrugging his shoulders indifferently. "Anyway, I'm going on a lunch break."

"You've already had two." Leon said looking up.

"Yeah, well...I'm still hungry." With that, he closed the door, not to be heard from for the next hour and a half.

Leon sighed. It was obvious to tell which one of them was serious about their career. Seifer rarely ever remembered who his patients were, and relied on the receptionist to remind him constantly. Leon however, knew days in advance and was always prompt to the appointments.

They weren't particularly hostile to one another—though far from friends—but Leon wasn't too keen on the man's mannerisms. Case one: Frequent lunch breaks.

Thumbing briefly through the manilla folder that had been dumped onto his desk, it appeared that Seifer was right, the patient would definitely be paying quite a huge sum of money.

He had just had a triple bypass surgery—performed by Leon himself—and needless to say, they were expensive. Leon would have to go through a colossal amount of red tape to keep his patient from having to sell his house. There were insurance files to go through, hospital policies...it was endless.

But he knew as much as he didn't want to, he would be searching for every loop hole in the system for the next three hours. Leon liked his patients just that much.

Though appearing cold hearted and to the book—or as Seifer put it "A frigid ogre with a tongue depressor lodged in his sphincter—he really did like his patients, and wanted to help them in anyway possible. Even if the ways were a little unconventional.

It was this care and concern that made him work in other departments that were short handed—practically all of them—and inevitably created this huge wall of records and documents towering over his desk.

He picked up his cooling cup of coffee and headed out the door to the front desk to hunt for insurance documents.

* * *

"Closing time," Riku said cheerfully, hanging up the sign on the door. 

"Thank goodness!" Cloud sighed, sliding off his stool.

Sora rolled his eyes. "Yeah, one more minute there and you would have fallen asleep."

"...What's your point?"

"Whatever. Anyway—" He stopped mid sentence with a rough cough.

"Ooh, that's a nasty cough."

"Maybe you're finally understanding why I hate working around flowers so much."

"No," Sora said indignantly. "I've been coughing all day. Must be catching a cold or something."

"Hm," Riku put a hand to Sora's forehead. "You do feel a bit feverish. Maybe you should stay home tomorrow."

His face flushed in shock. "I can't do that! Who will do the flower arrangements?"

Riku smirked. "I'm sure Cloud would be more than happy to—"

"I_ will_ quit if you finish that sentence."

"...I'll take care of it for you." Riku finished. Then he narrowed his eyes right at Cloud. "If I'm taking over Sora's job tomorrow, I'll be too busy to babysit you. You had better behave."

Cloud scoffed, hanging up his apron on the rack. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm sure I can handle it fine."

"You did a marvelous job demonstrating that earlier."

"...Shut up."

The three of them headed to the automatic glass doors of the exit and down into the dark parking lot. The dull hum of the emergency entrance breaking up the quiet summer night. In the stillness, Cloud wondered if he really _would_ be able to keep himself in line for the following day.

He smirked. He would _try._

Thank you all very much for reading. Do review!


	3. Systematic

Hello everyone!

**Wends**-Thanks for reviewing. I know what you mean. My own FF8 game is sitting over in the game bin collecting dust, even though I really wanna play it. Stupid memory card was faulty and didn't work in my PS2. I'm not that motivated to turn it on and have it fail again... Anyway, I tried to keep Leon as grumpy/a closet bunny rabbit. He did need more screen time darn it! Let's start a revolt! KH2 had better include more Leon centric scenes!

**animegirl999**-Thank you so much for the review. I love feedback! Cloud is being a bit of a sneak isn't he? The basis for writing is character manipulation, and I think manipulating Cloud to sneak around Leon indirectly helps me manipulate Leon better. If you understand what I just said, you deserve a golden star...

Okay, two reviews, I can live with that. Better than noting, and I do appreciate it! Keep reading and keep reviewing.

I own nothing!

* * *

"Sure is slow today," Cloud said absently pulling lint off of his apron.

"I know," Riku agreed. "But Sora will be happy he hasn't missed anything."

"I'd be happy to miss _everything_."

"All of us are well aware of that, Cloud."

"Just making sure." He leaned back in his stool and rested his head on a stuffed bear—typical position.

Riku eyed Cloud for the mistreatment of merchandise, but decided against scolding him. He already knew he would be having a tough enough time with Cloud's tomfooleries without Sora, and he really wanted to delay his inevitable ranting as much as possible.

"Well...I guess I'll get started on some of those flower arr—"

"Don't say those words in ear shot!" Cloud roared, overdramatizing on purpose.

"Cloud...really."

"Any direct referral to those horrendous monster weeds you call flow—I mean the _forbidden word _is not to be made in my presence, on and off work!"

Riku sighed. "Alright, fine. Just get to work...and don't think I didn't notice you drinking coffee yesterday. Don't do that anymore."

"Oh..." Cloud said sheepishly. "You saw that?"

"Yes, I _saw _that. Cut it out." He opened the dividing door and scuttled around in the back room.

"Yeah...whatever." He huffed, folding his arms. The morning was too slow. He had every intention of enjoying another cup, whether Riku saw it or not.

* * *

"Alright, Cid, breathe in...and out."

"You know, I used to be a Shaman, but in my old age, my powers have worn."

"Is that so? Inhale again please."

"Yes, yes it's true. If only I had my turtle shell and snake skin. Then I'd _really_ show you something."

"I'm sure. Can you sit up?"

"Yeah, yeah, hang on a minute. All these dang cords you got me strapped to make it hard to do anything. You know, a paste made from the blood of a young sloth and river clay would be far more potent than this useless, not to mention expensive medication."

"Hmm. I'll look into that." Leon said resisting the urge to frown. He pulled out a flash light and shined it into the man's hazy eyes.

A few hours ago he had been briefed on a patient that had fallen off a porch and hit his head landing into the street. At first, Leon thought he may have not seen the stairs, and was a little disoriented because of a concussion.

"Follow the light with your eyes."

"What Light?"

"The one I'm shining into your face."

"Oh. Hey, did I ever tell you I was a Shaman?"

But a quick examination and a blood test proved otherwise. Cid's Blood alcohol level was off the charts. He was nothing more than a hopeless drunkard that had fallen down the stairs attempting to fly—such efforts he had seen many a time.

"Well Cid," Leon said disapprovingly. "Your hang over is going to be tremendous, though I doubt this is a new experience for you. Can I get you anything?"

"I'm hungry. Perhaps you have some food for this old Shaman?" He said with a lazy droop in his eyes.

"I suppose. I'll have the nurse bring up some apple sauce."

"Yes!" Cid smiled smugly in his disgusting stupor. "Apple sauce. Bring me apple sauce...and Jell-O. Mashed, processed pommes and the gelatinous cartilage of cow knees will make a fine poultice!"

Leon's brow puckered in annoyance. "...No Poultices."

"Not even a small one?"

"No." He scribbled something down on a clip board and exited, catching a breath of something about a butter made from monarch caterpillars and pussy willows.

"I could really use some coffee..." Leon muttered to himself a few hours later. He was now heading down the hallway. His back was aching as were his feet. As usual the hospital was short handed, and he was the one exclusively responsible for the care of the other patients, especially Seifer's.

But he really didn't feel like contending with the haughty employee from the gift shop at the moment. He was tired and achy, and bound to lose his temper. Leon wasn't about to lose his cool to an arrogant, lazy, ill-positioned employee—he believed his name was Cloud—so he'd probably end up skipping the coffee—which he so desperately needed—and just sit in the cafeteria until his three o'clock appointment. (Of course, the cafeteria was positioned just in front of the gift shop...)

* * *

"Cloud! Put that coffee down!"

"Oh, no one was here to drink it! Waste not want not!" Cloud shouted, sugar packets littering the counter. "Besides, I wanna make sure it's all gone before that jerk Leon gets—Oh shoot."

Riku opened the dividing door to scold Cloud some more, but followed Cloud's line of vision to Leon, sprawled out in a chair a few meters before them, seemingly taking a nap.

"Heh! Well, would you look at that! Maybe I should wake him up!"

"Don't you dare move from behind this counter!" Riku hissed.

"Oh come on! I'll just bring him some of this coffee...nice, hot, _skin burning _coffee."

"I'm going to assume you were joking."

"Whole heartedly."

Riku narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but the phone started ringing; something that rarely ever occurred. Both Riku and Cloud stared at each other, and deciding that Cloud wasn't about to move, he picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" He said hesitantly holding the receiver to his ear. "This is—"

"RIKU!"

"Ah!" He pulled the phone away, startled by the loud cry. "Sora?"

Cloud only half paid attention. So the boy was calling in. Perhaps he was worried that his precious arrangements weren't properly being done. The nerve of some people. He busied himself by sweeping empty sugar packets, spoons and cups into the trash bin and fixing himself another batch.

Then he peered upward. There that menacing doctor was sitting in not ten meters in front of him, and here he was, confined to the back of the counter. His lips itched to yell snide comments across the cafeteria, but Riku was standing next to him, and would more than likely interfere. So, instead, he fixed his gaze into a sort of glare, that would more than likely make the doctor initiate confrontation and Cloud would then not be held responsible for his thoughts and actions after being provoked.

But Leon didn't move. He was still sprawled out in a chair with his head slung back and his mouth slightly agape, as if Cloud weren't even there. The whole visual irritated Cloud. It irritated him quite a lot. In fact, it actually made him angry.

"Sora, are you alright? You sound a bit hoarse."

"...I'm okay." Sora replied with a bit of a rasp. How's the shop?"

"Business is actually a little slow today. I'm not surprised. Cloud drank all the coffee."

"Oh."

It made Cloud so angry, that he intensified his glower, raised a fist in the air and opened his mouth to say something. He then glanced sideways at Riku,—who was entangled in the phone cord and secured in the conversation with Sora, but still had enough attention on Cloud to stop him from doing anything—and stopped. He repeated these actions several times before Riku finally whopped him in te back of the head.

"Are you feeling any better?"

"...No...actually, that's why I called." Sora said woefully. "I might have to miss tomorrow too..."

"Don't worry about it. Take as many days off as you need."

"Alright."

Cloud snorted, catching wind of the conversation and rubbing the back of his head furiously. "What's the matter with him anyway? Is it a cold?"

Riku asked Sora the question, and he in turn replied, "I don't think so. I mean, my head hurts, and my throat does too...but I can't—" He was cut off by a mad fit of coughs.

"Sora? Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm okay."

Riku chewed his lip nervously. He couldn't help but feel a little worried for his co-worker. "Um, hey, Sora, hang on a second, alright?" He covered the speaker with his hand.

He looked uneasily at Cloud, then sighed, raising his other hand. "Hey, Um...Doctor! Could you come here for a minute?" He shouted loud enough for his voice to carry to the sleeping Leon.

Cloud's jaw dropped in surprise. "What on earth are you doing?" He hissed, as Leon jolted up from his position on the chair. The last thing he wanted—and apparently _wanted_ more than anything—was for that man to come anywhere near the shop, especially if he was beckoned.

"Just hush for a minute. I have to ask him something."

Leon straightened himself up, obviously not intending to doze off in the cafeteria, and more or less strode over to the counter, retaining some of his dignity.

"Um, Sora is sick, and um, I was wondering if you could tell me what he should do." Riku said more determined than embarrassed.

"That boy who works with the flowers?" Leon asked, blatantly ignoring the glower he was receiving from the blonde shop worker.

"Yeah."

"What's wrong with him?" Leon asked rubbing his eyes.

"Um, let's see, cough, sore throat, head ache..." he put the phone back up to his ear. "Hey Sora, do you have a fever?"

"...A small one."

"He says he has a small fever." Riku relayed, staring intently at Leon, who seemed to consider the symptoms.

"Tell him to rest up. It's probably the flu." He said with a yawn.

Riku repeated the information to Sora, who whined in protest.

"But I've been sleeping all day! I haven't moved from bed since last night! It isn't working!"

Riku looked back up at Leon, who was yawning again.

"Um...well, Sora said he's been in bed for a while, and he doesn't feel any better."

"Mmm." Leon arched an eyebrow. "Does he have any other symptoms?"

Cloud resisted the urge to punch Leon in the face to wake him up a bit. Yeah, that would do it alright. He'd just have to wait until Riku finished talking with him. Cloud could hardly wait.

Riku spoke back into the phone and waited for Sora to reply, as he was rattled with coughs again.

"Yeah. I decided to get some orange juice earlier...but I...I can't swallow it."

"What do you mean you can't swallow it?"

"It just won't go down. My tonsils..."

Riku quickly told Leon what Sora had said, and Leon's face seemed to droop a bit.

Leon frowned, glancing at his watch. His eyelids were already forming rings. He really wanted to go home that night and rest, but he had a feeling that what he said next would totally shatter his plans. His sense of good will overrode his desperate need for a break and a night at home to rest up properly. He sighed and rubbed his eyes again.

"...Have him come in."

* * *

So the plot thickens, ne? Read and Review! 


	4. Symptoms

Hello all! Chapter 4 is up! I think it may be a bit shorter than the rest...wonder how that happened...

**On KHII**– Personally, I thought KHII was slightly lacking in character development as compared to KHI. Not to say that it was a bad game. I loved it, but by comparison...I dunno. Riku comes off as a little whiney. It makes me angry since I love him so much and want him to be the apex of cool. I'll just have to think around that and mold him how I want through careful manipulation and plot advancement...heh!

Anyway, on with the thank-you's!

**Tears of Darkness 17**- Thanks for your thoughts! I'm so glad you like it! I tried to be a little innovative with this one, but I wasn't sure about how it would turn out. You're opinion is reassuring!

**AquilaStrife**- Hey there! checks reviews Nope, you didn't review for chapter two, but it's really no big deal. I'm just happy you read it! The greed in me is coming out rather strong lately, I'm like addicted to 'em currently! I feel so bad... Anyway, I'm also very happy that you enjoyed them!

**Animegirl999**- After beating KHII then watching the ending twice, I've gotten this growing love for Sora and Riku. I've always LOVED them beyond my healthy level, but now I **_LOVE_** them beyond everyone's healthy level! It pained me to have to hurt him, but I had to do it... Then I'm also like, gonna marry Leon and Cloud too. Anyway, I'm so glad you like!

I own nothing!

* * *

"Alright Sora, just hold still for a moment." Leon said feeling along the underside of his chin.

Cloud's lip curled in agitation. The idea of that man _touching_ another human being without a "Bio Hazard" label painted brightly to his forehead didn't set well with him. Looking sideways, he noted Riku, though appearing relatively calm, his eyes shone as much apprehension as a rabbit in a snare.

"Okay Sora, you can relax," Leon said tiredly. Sora sank down a little, then started another rattling fit of coughs.

"What's wrong with him?" Riku burst out suddenly, earning curious stares from the surrounding party members.

"Well," Leon started, sliding his hands into his jacket pockets. "His lymph glands have swollen to a relatively large size, and then there's the coughing and mild fever. It looks to me like strep throat, but we'll do a throat culture to be sure."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "In other words, you don't know."

"I said it's probably strep, weren't you listening?"

"I _was _listening, and it sounds to me like you aren't sure."

"Don't start it with me tonight," Leon said massaging his eyes. "I'm not in the mood."

"I don't care what you're in the mood for!" Cloud hissed. "Sora could be _dying_ for all you know because you obviously didn't have adequate medical training!"

Riku groaned inwardly. He knew that Cloud's rant wasn't initially birthed from concern and compassion but rather spawned from an apparent need to ignite another fleet of battle cannons. Ignoring the two with little effort, he turned his attention to Sora, who looked only half way interested in the mini war and far more intent on the array of various examination equipment.

"Hey Sora," Riku said, good-naturedly wrapping an arm around his shoulders to distract the boy from the offending items. "He says you have strep. Trillions of people get it and get rid of it. You'll be fine."

Sora recalled that _Riku_ was the only one actually _concerned_ about his condition in the first place when Sora had only called in to report his absence for the following day, but he let it go and shrugged.

"I know that. But..."

"But?"

Sora chewed the inside of his cheek. "I've had strep throat before...and...it didn't feel like this." Instantly after saying it, Sora wished he hadn't, because the look on Riku's face made him want to go home immediately.

Sora knew Riku would beg Leon for an overnight examination, request any and all tests that could possibly help with diagnosis, and he would ask for it all to be done in a speedy manner. Needles to say, he wasn't exactly thrilled to be fussed over, but he did have a growing sense of appreciation for Riku's well intended efforts.

After successfully parrying every one of Cloud's weak jibes and calmly dismissing Riku's incessant suggestions, Leon walked over to the sink.

"We need to do a throat swab to send to the lab." He said above the sound of the running water. "Ever had one before?"

Sora watched in horror as Leon pulled on his rubber gloves. "Er...it's been a while."

Selecting a rather long swab from a jar sitting on a cabinet in the corner of the room, he walked back over to where his patient sat wide-eyed.

"It doesn't hurt, it just sort of feels...odd."

"Alright..."

"Open wide please."

Hesitantly, Sora allowed his mouth to be _swabbed_. Never in a million years would he describe the experience as _odd_, but rather _horrible. _On that note, Sora immediately reconsidered his methods of ear cleaning for the rest of his life.

Suddenly the motion of the cotton tipped stick stopped, and Sora wondered what could be delaying the completion of this horrendous experience. He looked at Leon's face, and behind the dark circles, he could definitely see the beginning of a frown.

Resisting the urge to ask what the problem was and risk gagging even more, he looked at Riku and Cloud who looked just as confused at the doctor's sudden lack of activity.

"What, did you fall asleep?" Cloud asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Quiet." Leon snapped. Without shifting his gaze, he reached into his lab coat pocket for a flashlight.

Covering the lining of Sora's throat was a sort of pale grey membrane that was thick and firmly stuck. Membranes such as this weren't usually associated with strep throat...

"Sora...are you having difficulty breathing?"

"Kinda." He winced as the swab hit the back of his throat.

"Hm." He could hear Riku's breath hitch behind him, and decided it better not to say anything about it. The lab would have to come before he could make any accurate suppositions anyway.

Dropping the swab into a labeled plastic bag, Leon assured Sora he would be fine, but to satisfy the ever persistent Riku, he agreed to keep Sora overnight for observation.

* * *

"Thank you again." Riku sounded slightly more at ease.

"It's my job," Leon replied dismissing him with the wave of a hand. Then, turning to give Cloud a aphoristic frown, he headed down the hallway to his office.

Cloud folded his arms. "I really hate that guy."

"Please don't start..."

"I'm going home."

"Oh, alright, I'll see you tomorrow."

Cloud leaned against the doorway of the gift shop, studying Riku's face seriously. Not one to typically involve himself in his co-workers' problems—anyone's for that matter—he couldn't help but feel a tinge sympathy for his fellow employee.

Frowning a bit, Cloud noticed that it really didn't take much examination to understand the thoughts spinning wildly inside his skull. Riku's concern for Sora was far more than obvious and the strain from the impending lab results nearly crippled his composure until he looked just about as hapless as Leon.

Cloud couldn't resist the urge to pat the guy amicably on the shoulder. "Hey, are you coming?"

"Eh?" He looked questioningly up at Cloud, who surprisingly enough was acting different albeit_ genial._ "No, I'm gonna stick around a bit longer."

"Why?"

"Just...because. Anyway, I have records to fill in for tomorrow, and thanks to you, I have to buy more coffee."

Cloud shrugged with mild notice of his offence. "While you're in Sora's room for the rest of the night, tell him I said 'hi.'"

Face flushed in unrestrained outrage, he made a series of short gasping noises, similar to the ones Cloud made when he had plenty of things to say, but couldn't formulate words fast enough to unleash his fury.

Perhaps Cloud's bad habits were rubbing off...

"Later." Cloud shouted, flicking his wrist over his shoulder in a sort of wave as he headed out the door. Riku stood in the middle of the hallway shaking his head, but he then turned and headed off to Sora's room.

* * *

Leon leaned back in his chair, unsure of how to occupy himself. To his direct left was a stack of files that needed to be filled out and sorted through, to his right was the door, to which eventually lead to the community lounge where he could take a much needed rest, and then there was the impending matter of those lab results he had to worry about.

He knew the lab wouldn't be finished processing until at least the next morning, but there was something about them that had made him a little uneasy. He was almost positive that it wasn't strep, though most symptoms had pointed in that direction.

There had to be a myriad of other possible diagnoses that could explain the symptoms, but none came to mind at the present moment.

Perhaps he was just tired.

Glancing up at the clock and grimacing disapprovingly at the unrealistic hour it was approaching, he decided against going down the hall to hurry things along in the lab. Then that left the pile of documents encompassing the small expanse of his desk that needed tending. That wasn't a particularly appealing use of time either.

Sighing with a mixture of exasperation and fatigue, he cleared a few of the manilla folders to the side, folded his arms, and laid his head down right in the center. This seemed like the perfect way to end the ni—start the morning.

* * *

Chapter 5 will be up soon! Read and Review! 


	5. Diagnosis

Salutations readers. It took a bit longer to update this time. Sorry about that! It took me abreakfast of cold milk and ½ a burrito to finish this one up, and since my digestive system isn't used to such harsh flavors so early in the morning, my brain must have missed the nutrients from the healthy breakfast it's so used to enjoying. (Yeah right. I eat like that all the time. I have NO qualms with ANY food.)

The conditions under which this chapter was fashioned is surely enough of an excuse for any oddities! Hahah!

Thank-you's:

**andromeda90**-I'm so happy that you enjoy my work! -beams- I'm so flattered I don't know what to say! Hahahahahahah! Really, you don't understand how happy that made me!

**AquilaStrife**-Nice to hear from you again! I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this one, so I hope it's equally good, if not better. As for KHII, September will come sooner than you think..? I don't really think that helps, but don't worry, it's worth the wait!

**Wends**-Thank you for the review, it's really appreciated! Yes, the medical mystery! It's brought back from the depths of history, as in, it's not just some crap I made up! Hehehe! It's REAL, which makes the whole bit that much more interesting to write about!

Okay, one more thing. I've noticed that I've been getting reviews for ACoV asking when the sequel will be out. Heh, it's been out for a really long time! Sorry, that was my fault!

Alright, now that everything is taken care of, Please read!

I own nothing but my humble plot.

* * *

"I'm afraid of the dark."

"I know."

"I hate medicines."

"I know."

"And I hate hospitals."

"An odd enough trait for someone who works in said establishment's gift shop."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"I hate medicine."

"You've said that."

"I **_hate_** medicine."

Riku chuckled, patting Sora's hand genially. "Well, you'll be getting plenty."

"Why are you so cruel to me?"

"It's not intentional."

"I'm tempted not to believe you."

Riku smiled. "Am I not here to make you feel better?"

Sora folded his arms. "Yeah...you are."

"Is the dark not so bad now that you have company?"

"I suppose not..."

"Do you still hate hospitals as much?"

Sora eyed Riku at an angle. "Yes."

The two were sitting in Sora's assigned room,—Sora far more reluctant than Riku—the hour undefined. In the darkness, the room was rather unpleasant with it's blank walls and sterile atmosphere. Already disgruntled by the over-night stay and the request—more like _enforcemen_t—to wear that ridiculous backless gown, Sora was ready to explode with the addition of his new environment. Riku had thought it best to stay for a while to make sure Sora could get settled in properly.

The process was taking a bit longer than anticipated.

"I'm not even that sick."

"Maybe not."

"_Definitely_ not."

Riku didn't particularly mind staying with Sora. He had no other matters to attend to that evening, and he rather liked the company of the energetic brunet. He was actually a very interesting individual, touched with a sense of honesty that he found intriguing if not adorable. On occasion, Riku fancied just listening to Sora ramble on passionately about some really rather insignifigant detail as though his speeches were worth their length in gold.

"Don't you worry. You'll be out before you realize it."

Not to be slowed down by a fever—in fact Riku would venture far enough to say he was invigorated by it—Sora sat straight up in bed, scowling dangerously at him. "What I_ realize_ is that I've been unfairly placed in an institute providing services not of my immediate needs because _some_ people are overly cautious and insist on extravagant measures to ensure the overall pain and suffering of those who want nothing more than to go home, drink a glass of orange juice and go to be—" He was abruptly cut off by a fit of coughs.

Riku sighed, folding his arms. "Do you really think I'd let you go home when you're coughing like that?"

Resettling himself, he retorted, "No, and that's what kills me!"

"Then I don't understand why you're complaining." He ruffled Sora's hair, who sat submerging a glare under his thinning layer of resolve.

"Because Riku, I like to complain."

"I came to that conclusion after about the first hour or so."

"Really?" Intent on changing the subject, Sora looked at the clock that was barely visible in the dark room. "How long have you been here?"

"I dunno."

It was true. Riku had no idea how long the stay had been. He was so engrossed in listening to Sora's amusing complaints to really pay attention to the time. The only indication he had was an occasional yawn or heavy lid, but his attention soon resumed on Sora the moment he started another bout of ranting.

Sora shifted uncomfortably in his bed and pulled at the edge of the thin sheet. "Maybe you should get home and get some sleep..."

Riku grinned. "It's probably a little too late...early for that."

"Yeah," Sora wilted a little more. "But something's better than nothing."

"Do you want me to go?"

"Huh?" Sora waved his arms in the air frantically, nearly swatting Riku in the face. "No! It's not like that! I just thought that maybe you...I mean you're a busy guy and...I guess I figured that... well, we all have better things to do and ...why are you... staring at me?"

Happy that he wouldn't have to explain himself anymore, yet increasingly unsettled by the amused stare coming from the boy sitting on the stool next to his bed, Sora tipped an eyebrow and waited for an explanation.

"For someone so sick, you're awfully animated."

Sora wanted to grab, shake, and forcefully remind Riku that this was his point all along, but he sensed something else buried in his coy amusement.

"What's that got to do with anything?"

Chin resting in palm, and his elbow on Sora's mattress, Riku put his other hand on top of Sora's head and turned it slowly to face him.

Riku's eyebrows ghosted upward just slightly and the smirk never left his face. "It just so happens I have nothing else I'd rather be doing."

"Oh..." Sora blushed furiously as Riku removed his hand, stood and stretched.

"However Sora," Riku began, rotating his shoulder. "That doesn't mean _you _shouldn't be otherwise occupied. Namely, your little eyes should be closed in slumber."

"What?" Newly energized in his I'm-not-sick-what's-wrong-with-you fury, Sora just about lost it when Riku suggested such a thing. "I'll have you know thatI am not in the_ least _bit sle—"

Sora was abruptly cut off when Riku put his finger over his mouth, and applied just enough pressure to coax Sora to lay down.

"Go to sleep Sora." He removed his finger.

"No!"

"You need your rest."

"I _need_ to—"

"Sleep."

"Stop that!"

Ignoring the protests, Riku slid the sheet and blanket over Sora's body, and more out of amusement than actual benefit, he tucked Sora in so tightly, he could barely move.

"Riku!" He began wriggling around, unable to escape the tightly packed covers.

"Good night."

"I feel like I'm in an envelope!"

"You_ look _like a worm."

"You...when I get out of here..."

"You'll be well again. Now settle down, and go to sleep. If nothing else, do it for me."

Sighing in defeat, Sora realized he couldn't escape the cocoon of blankets, and was forced to give under Riku's command. He watched with narrowed eyes at Riku's satisfied smile and made a movement resembling that of a disgruntled caterpillar.

"Are you going home?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Sora realized how horrible the possibility could be. As much as he despised this over protective mother hen at the current moment, the thought of his company leaving him alone in the dark, cold, unfamiliar hospital room, wrapped up like some mutant sausage didn't set well with him at all.

Sora rather liked Riku's company. Though often excessive in his methods of care, Sora knew he meant well and his desire for his speedy recovery blacked out nearly all notions to dismiss him from his room. Then there was the fact that Sora secretly liked the attention he was receving—he liked the attention, not the fussing, which there was a difference between—because it made him feel important and somewhat chesty, which was scarce in people of his physical make up.

He watched tentatively as Riku pushed the stool back against the wall.

"No." He said simply, curling up in theplastic chair in the corner.

Shocked out of his mind, but fully appreciative, Sora raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"You hate the dark, and you hate being in the dark _alone_. I can understand that."

"Yeah, but you don't have to..."

"I don't mind it at all, so long as you get some rest." He punctuated his statement with a yawn.

"...thanks."

"You're welcome. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

"I wish I had my camera." Seifer stated flatly, folding his arms. Pushing the glass door open a little further so that he could position himself against it. Never in all his years of medical school and time spent in the actual work force would he ever have thought to see the sight displayed in front of him at this moment.

There, in all his uncharacteristically lethargic glory, sat, rather _lay _Leon, head down on his desk, completely engrossed in sleep.

Seifer leaned back, very much so entertained. Was he detecting some light snoring? If this was how the morning was starting, he was eager to get on with the rest of the day.

Suddenly struck with a brilliantly ornery notion, he held the manilla file in his hands high into the air, and brought it down sharply on the back of Leon's head resulting in the immediate revival of his colleague and a very satisfying look of shock.

"Up and at 'em Leonhart. Your lab results are in."

Leon, who was looking around questioningly, trying to get his bearings and figure out where on earth he was, suddenly realized what had happened—and what he had been caught doing—and gave Seifer an annoyed glare.

"If this is what you get to do in here all day, maybe I should stay in my office a little more often." Seifer said offhandedly.

"Give me my report."

Seifer opened the file and thumbed through it himself for a moment. "Patience, patience! I'd like to see what kept poor little Leon up so late last night..."

"Almasy..."

"You're sure not much of a morning person." He read through it a bit more. "What? What is this?"

Leon took this opportunity to snatch the folder away from Seifer and study it himself.

"Traces of _Corynebacterium diphtheriae_ have been found in patient... though a further analysis will have to be done...lab conclusion... I don't believe it..."

Seifer placed his hands on his hips, frowning. "What's he got?"

"Almasy," Leon said standing up suddenly. "Issue a hospital alert. It's diphtheria."

* * *

Alright, so does it for Chapter five. Read and Review, I beseech you! 


	6. Upheval

Hello everyone! Thank you for choosing to read chapter seven, I really appreciate it. Hopefully this chapter will clear everything up...or who knows, it could just confuse things, heheheh! At any rate, here are the thank-you's:

**andromeda90-** Hello! Thank you for the review. I went on a vacation myself between chapters...4 and 5 (I think...) so don't feel bad, I just hope you had fun. Anyway, I love Seifer too! He's adorable! Leon does need some rest! I feel so awful for torturing him, but the plot must go on! -mock sobbing-

**Wind's Nocturne-Thank **you so much! -nods- Sora's ill, spreading my little disease all over the hospital...ahh, how tragic. I feel bad, really! I had to mellow the seriousness out with Cloud and Leon's little tiffs! I'm glad you like it!

**Wends**-Hello, and thank you for your review! Leon will get his moment in the artificially fabricated sun, don't worry! He's quite possibly my favorite character ever and won't be denied his rights to stardom...it just might take a bit. Anyway, I'm so glad you like it!

**AquilaStrife-** Hi! What a coincidence! You had an enchilada, I had a burrito...man. Mexican food is great in the morning! I'm happy that you liked the dialogue. I wanted it to be good and a little humorous! Comedy verses tragedy...such an clash of drama! Heheh! I look forward to more reviews!

Okay, now that everything is taken care of, I own nothing! On with Chapter six!

Note: The page break isn't working, so "XxX" will be used instead.

XxX

While emptying another packet of sugar into his coffee, Cloud watched indifferently at the multitude of nurses scurrying about. Though he usually didn't bother to acknowledge the white-clad flurry of attendants, he couldn't help but notice how unusually skittish they were this morning. Shrugging it of, he reached for the creamers.

When Cloud had arrived that morning, he realized that he was alone to do all of the work. At first, he was miffed, but after remembering the events of the night before, and where Riku most likely was, Cloud decided that he would be able to handle it for the time being.

Riku had probably stayed in the room with Sora all night long, Cloud supposed while plucking a coffee stir from the neatly packed bunch. Maybe Sora really was sick...or maybe Riku was just overreacting. Cloud didn't really have enough information on the subject to make any immediate conclusions, but he decided to hope for the best anyhow.

"Pour me a cup too."

Cloud looked up, nearly spilling his coffee all over his lap. "Oh...hi." He didn't expect to see Riku standing in front of him, especially so soon after thinking about him. This sort of thing happened _too_ often.

Riku grimaced, running a hand through his very disheveled hair. His back was aching, as was his neck. Never again would he opt to sleep in the hospital chairs. He would sooner jump in bed with Sora.

"What? _You_ want coffee?"Cloud smirked as he reached for a styrofoam cup. "Aren't we the hypocrite?"

"Shut up."

Cloud handed him the cup along with a handful of sugar and creamers. "You look like you've been sleeping in a closet."

"Actually, it was the plastic chair in Sora's room."

"That too."

"It's very uncomfortable."

"I can tell."

Both of them sighed and watched the flock of nurses scampering back and forth. What had gotten them so riled up this morning?

"So," Cloud said interrupting the silence. "How's Sora?"

"He was quite the firecracker last night, but I didn't get to ask him how he was this morning."

"Really?" Cloud said sweeping the trash off into the waste paper bin. "Why's that?"

"Leon kicked me out of his room. He said they had to run more tests or something."

Cloud immediately frowned at the mention of Leon. "Humph, he thinks he's the boss just because he can wield a syringe. If I were you, I'd march right back in there and—"

"Attention hospital staff and visitors," blasted the loud speaker, cutting Cloud off in mid sentence. "The building has been put on alert and is under immediate lock down. It is suspected that a patient emitted last night has the _Corynebacterium diphtheriae _bacterium, from which the contagious and potentially life threatening disease Diphtheria is produced. We ask that you all obey any and all instruction given by the hospital staff, and remain calm. Updates in the progression of the disease will be given periodically over the intercom."

With a loud click the announcement was over, followed by a cold silence.

Within moments of the promulgation sinking in, there was a series of loud and agitated groans coming from the waiting room. A few people actually took heed to the announcement and held their children tighter in an effort to shield them from the invisible danger, but most were annoyed at the seemingly unnecessary delay in their schedules.

Cloud however, not having a schedule to keep, yet still not particularly worried about the impending threat, eased back against the shelf he was so accustomed to lying against.

But then something struck him.

Hospital Lock down.

Lock down.

_Lock down_

He wouldn't be able to leave! Glancing around him, he saw that others had noticed the extremity of the inconvenience and were complaining rather loudly. It would only be a matter of time before people became irritated with each other, causing disturbances Cloud didn't want to deal with.

He groaned. He hated large crowds, especially fussy ones. Who knew how long he would have to sit there in absolute misery until the hospital got it's act together and reaized it was probably just some kid with a cold?

"May I have your attention please?" The loud speaker blared again, this time forcing the room into immediate silence. "Due to the nature of this disease, we ask that anyone with the following symptoms or anyone that has been in contact with someone with these symptoms alert hospital staff immediately: Sore throat, mild fever, rapid pulse, or swelling in the throat. If you have experienced these symptoms between two and five days ago, but are not necessarily experiencing them now, you also must report to hospital staff. It is important that we concentrate the bacterium as quickly as possible so as to prevent further contamination."

Like a wave, loud cries of "What about that cold you had last week?" and "That man just coughed! He must be a carrier!" Crashed over Cloud's ears. If the hospital wasn't trying to raise mass panic, they were certainly doing a terrible job.

He glanced helplessly at Riku, who's pallor rivaled that of milk.

"Hey...what's the matter with you?"

"Sora...that..that's what Sora—"

"Riku, please. Sora's fine." Cloud said dismissively. He was far more concerned with his own captivity.

"No!" He grabbed Cloud's shoulders. "That's it! That's what he has! I know it!"

"Riku," Cloud complacently pried his trembling fingers from around his collar. "Sora will be fine."

"But, what if he's not! You heard the announcement! It's potentially life threatening! Sora could—"

"Listen to me!" Cloud hissed brusquely. "Even if Sora _does_ have this disease, HE'S IN A HOSPITAL! THERE REALLY ISN'T A BETTER PLACE FOR HIM TO BE!"

"Oh...that's right." Riku said sheepishly.

Cloud rolled his eyes seating himself on the counter then turning around so he could watch the reluctant guests. Just as expected, dozens of people crowded around the front desk.

"Ugh, Riku, you might want to wait until the crowd settles a bit first." Cloud said slightly disgusted.

"What are you talking about?" He watched as the nurse failed to get everyone lined up single file.

"You were with Sora all night weren't you? Naturally, you need to go get yourself tested."

"I guess so."

XxX

Leon sighed heavily, collecting file folders into piles. When he had earlier asked Seifer to issue an alert he never would have guessed this level of pandemonium would have erupted so quickly. Then again, hospital lock downs weren't exactly familiar grounds of study in his practices.

That morning while walking down the hallway to check on a patient, twice he had been ambushed by men and women demanding immediate removal from the waiting room that housed so many potential cases.

He had calmly explained to them that the hospital was doing it's very best and medicine would be issued out shortly, but that didn't do much to hither a particularly belligerent woman from hurling the contents of her purse _individually_ at the back of his head. Most he had managed to dodge, but the lipstick would most certainly leave a sizable bruise.

He recalled that shop boy...Riku had also approached him that morning. The look on his face had given away his request before he had uttered a word, but Leon allowed him to speak anyway.

He had asked that Leon watch over Sora, more or less as his personal attendant to ensure his immediate recovery. Leon didn't have the heart to tell him that he had other patients to assist, so instead he insured him that Sora would be fine and he would do what he could.

That seemed to satisfy Riku.

However, the patients that _were_ carriers were far less complacent than Riku. Naturally, they went into immediate panic even though Leon had requested an announcement guaranteeing those that were diagnosed the best care that their hospital offered.

The lab couldn't test everyone quick enough. In fact, There were only three people with a positive lab testing for Diphtheria—all of which were assigned to Leon—but there were several pending cases to which antibiotics would be given anyway.

"Hey, Leonhart, I was looking for you!"

Leon stifled a groan. There was a handful of people he wasn't too keen on seeing at the moment—the woman with the lethal lipstick included—but Seifer was pretty high on the list.

"I really don't have the time right now."

Seifer caught up to him, ignoring Leon's comment. "You know, you're not easy to find around here. Post a schedule or something!"

"What do you want?"

"Could you slow down!"

"No."

"Geez," He huffed. "For someone stuck with all three of those Diph-patients, you're awfully entergetic."

"No thanks to you," Leon grumbled, inadvertently increasing his pace. "If I recall, you had the option of helping."

"Are you kidding me?" Seifer scoffed. "There is no way I'm going anywhere _near_ those people. The second they administer the anti-toxin, I'm outta here."

"It's in?"

"Nope." Seifer said casually. "The full shipment won't get here until..." He glanced at his watch and frowned. "Later."

Leon smirked. "Good, then when it gets here, make sure you get it to me."

"No problem."

"...And you can also administer a treatment to those who just have symptoms. Have a nurse stock a cart full of Erythromycin for you. I'm sure you know the dosage."

"What?" He stepped backwards. "Didn't I tell you I wasn't going anywhere near those people?"

Leon's smirk widened. "I said those who have _symptoms_. We don't have time to get a lab report for everyone, so you can't possibly know who has what. This meathod is far more efficient and there's a _small_ chance you won't catch it, assuming of course you've been vaccinated."

Seifer folded his arms. "No way. Do it yourself."

"Would you rather do my job and take care of the definite carriers?"

He nearly kicked the wall in. "Leonhart, I swear--"

"Hurry up." Leon smiled, and headed down the hallway to attend to his patients. His mood had definitely lightened.

"Alright listen up, I want you all divided up into two groups!" Seifer shouted loudly over the din. "If you're not coughing or whatever, over to the left, if you are over to the right!"

His shouts went unnoticed, and due to the tri-layer of masks he insisted on wearing, his volume was even more so muffled. Gritting his teeth in agitation, he stood on top of a table in the cafeteria to project his statement. This time people paid him a little more attention.

"This...is so stupid." He muttered, waving people into their designated sections.

Cloud was watching the spectacle with the same amount of interest he had paid the nurses earlier when they were scampering around in the lobby.

It was an absolute mad house.

"Well, I think I'll wait until the rush clears up a bit."

"No way. I'm not about to wind up taking vat of medicine." Riku wandered over to the left.

Cloud sighed. Earlier they had made an announcement regarding the shipment of the antitoxin for those not suffering immediately from the disease. It would be arriving within the hour, but it hadn't arrived yet. Those suffering from symptoms would be getting some other antibiotic and those not suffering at all would be getting a vaccine.

Cloud looked over toward the right. He was a little surprised at how quickly so many people had began coughing and wheezing. Perhaps he should have made his way over with Riku.

"Alright everyone," Seifer said, holding up what looked like a cell phone. "I was just notified, the truck is on the way."

XxX

Please review!


	7. Coffee

Hello all! Today is awesome, because it is indeed Cloud's birthday! (The day I'm typing this) Happy Birthday Cloud! Naturally, he's aged quite a bit since the game actually came out, but you know, I don't have the game with me to properly check the dates and therefore can't possibly know how old he really is. I suppose I could look it up myself...but...it's frustrating! Someone, anyone out there with the game, how old is my beloved Cloud?

It's a shame they don't put Leon's Birthday on his game. I would have had quite a lot of fun.

Anyway, in honor of Cloud's birthday, and being the quirky weirdos that Hito Me Bore and I are, we made cute little birthday hats for her Cloud key chain and her home made plushie—yes ladies and gentlemen, we sew as well! Later on, we're making a mini cake with "Leon Frosting." We have yet to decide a flavor... The whole experience is totally hilarious and will most definitely be repeated next year!

Thank you's:

**Wends**-Finally got the time to log in eh? Cool. Thank you for the review! Spastic Riku...I never thought about that...sounds kinda weird, so I guess you're welcome! Thanks for the tidbit on how to get the spaces back in, but I'll keep the X's. It's easier. And as for the type-O, whoops, I hate this spell checker and it's auto correct. (Actually, it was probably my fault because that's not even a word, but you know what? I'll blame it on the .5 of the time the auto correct actually works.)

Alright, I own nothing!

XxX

If told so at a later time, Leon wouldn't have believed the rate at which he was moving that night. After checking in on one patient, he would immediately go to the next, the next, and finally the _next_ until he could go and visit Sora. Afterward the process started over again.

As he jogged down the hallway, he was scribbling down the status of a particularly grumpy patient—perhaps a relative of the woman with the projectile lipstick—and happened to run straight into quickly brewing trouble.

Seifer was perched acrimoniously on top of the desk, demanding that the masses stay way from him. Shouts rose when he held the box—that resembled the very _heavy_ box of antitoxins—over his head and kicked at the crowd with his feet.

Leon groaned, rubbing his eyes. Perhaps putting Seifer in charge of a job so important wasn't the greatest of ideas. Carefully picking his way through the sea of people, he tugged on Seifer's lab coat.

"Ah! How did you people get behind me? Get ba—oh. Hey." He stopped attempting to kick Leon in the face and held up the box. "Here's your..."

"Antitoxin."

"Yep."

People began to notice in their fit of hysterics that Leon was also wearing a lab coat, which instantaneously meant rescuer, and they began tearing mercilessly at him for some sort of cure.

He grimaced. "Seifer, give me my box!"

"Take it!" He dumped it into Leon's arms, then swiftly returned to kicking people away from him.

"Seifer!"

"Hey, you try being civil with these people!"

Leon glanced up at the clock. He was supposed to have been checking up on Sora. "Look, just hurry up and administer the antibiotics. I don't have time for this right now."

"I was in the process! Then these...animals just started—"

There was a sharp cry as someone passed out in the midst of people. Silence followed only briefly before the sea of people became a raging tidal wave tearing even more frantically at the two.

Nurses were scrambling around, trying to push people back so they wouldn't crush the poor victim, and attempted to load him onto a gurney. Leon's eyebrows curved downward.

"I've got to go."

"Wait," Seifer said jumping off the counter, accidently knocking someone over. "Don't you want some of this?" He rummaged around for a moment, ignoring the hands scrabbling at his person, then produced in a gloved hand, a rather large needle filled with the antibiotic.

"I'd be more than happy to administer _this_ painful shot in particular."

Leon opened his mouth to reply, but was blind sided by a sizable man that was determined to be treated first. Following suit, more members of the crowed noticed the glinting needle and were drawn to it in an almost trance-like manner. Patients being _drawn_ to a needle: in times of crisis, the general flow of humanity was apparentlyreversed.

In seconds, Seifer completely forgot about Leon having been crushed between the masses, and was far more determined instead to kick hands away from him. This was a bit of a challenge, as one might assume, since he was surrounded on almost every side, and was trying not to stab himself with the needle in the process.

The thought occurred to him that he should perhaps give himself another dose—being as reluctant to do the job as he was, naturally the first shot went directly to him—but he didn't even have a chance to decide before the needle was knocked out of his hand behind the counter, rendered completely useless.

XxX

Cloud was sitting on his own counter with his arms folded, and watched the spectacle before him with a weird mixture of disbelief and gratitude. Perhaps doctors weren't such horrible beings after all. Irritating, yes, but not horrible. Cloud himself would have gone ballistic if anyone had tried to attack him as they were attacking Leon—now missing—and that other blond doctor, but the two seemed _relatively_ calm for the situation.

He watched as a needle was flung out of Seifer's hand. People tumbled over each other to reach it, even though it was dirty. He grimaced, remembering those horrible shots.

Riku and he had waited around far more patiently than the surrounding group until their turns had come up. Dr. Almasy—as he had announced himself through multiple layers of masks—had a small cart stocked full of little brown bottles, on which script too hard to read was printed. On one side was a metal box that housed multiple individually wrapped needles.

Never being particularly affectionate to them as a child, Cloud didn't much fancy the idea of getting one plunged into his arm, but on further inspection of the coughing and wheezing people around him, he soon found that he didn't much fancy getting sick either.

He didn't have much time to consider the pain as the needle was sharply driven into his arm and then he was pushed out of way so that others would have their turn. At least he didn't have to go through the embarrassing display of tears as he usually did when faced with shots.

Riku had seemed too preoccupied to even notice the administration of shots, and only realized after he had been yanked, stabbed and pushed away. Cloud guessed that he had been thinking about Sora and his condition.

Now though, the whole experience was over and he was stuck sitting on the counter top next to Riku and a long ago emptied coffee pot.

He looked up again to watch what was happening. Leon had somehow managed to resurface, clinging to the counter and trying not to get knocked away. Seifer was again standing on top of the counter, repeating his question rather loudly and holding up another needle. Leon said something Cloud couldn't pick up then waved him away—more or less —and tried to make his way to the back of the hospital. Seifer seemed to shrug, instead jamming the needle intended for Leon into another person that Cloud thought could easily pass for the world's most ferocious looking human being.

Leon's attempt to make it to the back of the hospital toward the rooms was somewhat hitched when a woman with enough children to fill a daycare center charged through and politely flung him backwards. He narrowly missed getting his face smashed by the tiny feet of her kids, and stood up to collect himself.

Cloud made no effort whatsoever to hide his amusement, but when Leon glared up at him, he stared briefly before quickly turning his head upward toward the ceiling. But...

There was something in his eyes...

Cloud frowned, looking back down at Leon, who had returned his attention to the task at hand. He felt something positively irritating welling up inside him.

In just that moment, Cloud had felt something, something that had only come after he had received that distempered glare from the equally as distempered Leon, and suddenly watching him get stomped over wasn't nearly as amusing. He sank down into the counter. It made him absolutely sick when he realized what this feeling was.

It was...admiration.

XxX

Leon stood briefly in the hallway, which was quite a bit clearer than the waiting room and the area near the front desk. The staff had taken liberty to set up a sort of blockade between that area and the back rooms so that they would be able to work without being hassled.

As he stood, catching his breath from the _somewhat_ difficult task of getting through, he began to feel the effects of a hard day's work. Even though all medical reason told him otherwise, he was positive his head was going to explode, and the levels of pain in his back and feet were at another measurement entirely.

He quickly decided to get to work, as when he was working, he couldn't feel it as much. He dashed down the hallway to Sora's room.

Sora's room had been equipped with quite a bit more machinery since the night before. Other than the standard equipment such as heart and blood pressure monitors, he had also been hooked up to a respirator and an IV containing Erythromycin, the same antibiotic Seifer was still struggling to administer in the front.

Leon knocked quickly before entering the unsettling darkness of the room. The brilliant white light from the hallway sent a piercing line straight up the bed side before fanning out over Sora's face. Fitting his mouth with a trained half smile, Leon greeted him.

Sora bobbed his head up and down as a sort of reply as Leon closed the door behind him and turned on the yellow tinted light of a small lamp on the night stand.

Since the previous night, Sora had gotten considerably worse very quickly.

His blood pressure had dropped sharply just hours after Leon had discovered the disease and removed Riku from the room. His heart rate had increased, and earlier Sora had described to him—via pen and paper—that his throat was so sore he wasn't able to speak.

Then there was his appearance.

He looked positively awful. So awful in fact that even if his illness wasn't contagious, he would not have let Riku enter for fear that he'd completely lose it. His face was pale and slightly sunken. He looked weak and terribly tired for someone with his amount of stored energy.

Ignoring all of this with the mental condition of the patient in mind, Leon held up the box Seifer had guarded in the lobby.

Sora gazed up at it slightly confused.

"This is the antitoxin, it just arrived." He tried to widen his smile. "It appears as though you are the first to receive it."

Sora's face seemed to brighten a little and he watched quietly as Leon opened the box of little brown bottles. There seemed to be hundreds of them packed in neat and tight to protect them from bumps, shakes and flamboyant medical professionals like Seifer that needed to make a scene with everything they got their hands on.

"Alright Sora, I'm going to start you off with a fairly heavy dose." He began hooking up an IV. Sora didn't seem that bothered that he was having yet another needle inserted into his arm, this time it was secured.

"40,000 units may seem like a lot, but I assure you, it's all to help."

Sora nodded, and waited while Leon studied the machines that whirred behind him. He hadn't had the energy to complain properly about it, but he was rather annoyed at those ridiculously noisy mechanical pests for keeping him awake. It hadn't bothered him when Riku was with him, but now that he was gone and _more_ equipment had been added, it was all he could do to keep himself from tearing the wires right out of his body—assuming he had the energy to do so. That would give those hunks of metal something to really whirr about.

He also wasn't too keen on being forcefully secured to a bed. Riku had started that nonsense when he insisted on bundling him up tight enough to extrude his intestines right out his ears, but once Leon had come in claiming he knew what was wrong, he quickly pushed every needle in the entire hospital into his body. Both Riku and Leon would be given a hefty piece of his mind once he was released.

As a whole, he really didn't like this experience at all. In fact, he loathed it. He wanted out immediately. It was a shame that Leon and the rest of the infuriatingly thorough hospital staff didn't agree.

Leon stood up, apparently finished with his tinkering and adjusting and looked Sora over with an expression Sora wished he could read.

"Okay, I have other patients to visit, but I'll be back. Is there anything, I can get for you?"

Sora's eyes flicked downwards, toward the pen and paper pad resting on legs.

Leon got the message, tucked the pen in Sora's hand and moved the pad so he could write.

Weakly, but still very pronounced, he scrawled, "NO"

Releasing a sigh, Leon nodded, clutched his clip board and headed out the door. Only a dozen more patients to look after, and then he would get to...start over again.

Riku was sitting swinging his legs back and forth over the counter and watching the masses, just as Cloud was doing. The activity hadn't slowed even with all of the drugs having been administered. Seifer was still batting away helplessly at the crowd who apparently weren't satisfied with a simple antibiotic. They wanted treatment, and they wanted it swiftly!

XxX

Cloud shifted next to him, and Riku noticed his frown deepen. He followed Cloud's gaze to the back and watched as a flash of white darted around before disappearing down another hallway.

Leon.

"I...really dislike that guy," he muttered.

"You've said that...numerous times."

"I mean it numerous times."

Riku reached behind the counter and produced the coffee canister and a filter.

"You don't really get along with anyone, do you?"

"Not if I dislike them, no."

Riku nodded, pulling a lukewarm jug of water from under the counter as well. "He's not that bad a guy."

"In your opinion."

"And...he's helping out Sora. Hey, open the lid for me."

Cloud pulled the lid off the canister without looking up. "Whatever."

"And," He stuffed the items back under the counter. "He's really the only guy around here that does anything."

"I disagree."

"And, he works really hard." He flipped the switch on the coffee maker.

Cloud snorted. "So what's your point?"

"My point is," Riku grinned as the coffee maker began to steam, "You should bring him a cup of fresh coffee."

XxX

Okay, that's it for chapter seven. Please Read and review!


	8. Feeling Tired

Alright everyone, chapter eight is up, but before I get into that let me make a quick announcement: I bought Dirge of Cerberus. Have any of you played it? It's really not a bad game for a third person shooter. Personally, I would have preferred it if Cloud were in it, but Vincent isn't exactly ugly, so I'm actually pretty happy. I don't like all the horrible blood curdling screams that seem to sound every time he turns a corner, (the voice acting is brilliant though!) and I keep running out of ammo! T-T we (Hito Me Bore and I) are forced to use the classic karate moves to defeat a number of foes!

Secondly, I read this awesome story a while back, I beseech you all to check it out. It's so funny, and very dramatic starring Marluxia and Zexion. Honestly, it's flawless! It's positively addictive. It's called** Muddled Lines ...by Hito Me Bore. **Check it out, it doesn't hurt, I promise!

Thank you's:

**Wends**-I'm thrilled there were no typo's! Cloud in KH, was actually twenty three, but hey... As for his age in his game, I did the math and he's thirty. He's so OLD! What's with that? I'm not pleased. He'll be balding soon...

**DanteMoon**-Thank you for reading! I'm very pleased that you like my story so much! pelts cream buns at Thank you!

**Keji-**Hey! Thank you so very much for the lovely review, I'm really happy you liked it pelts curry buns at Yeah I did the math too. You're figures reasured me that I was right (thanks!)THIRTY! That means Leon is...about... twenty five from his game, but he's also twenty five in KH, so...they must have made cloud 23 because no one wants Leon to end up with an old man. Clever ploy Square, clever. This proves it. KH is a Yaoi (or at least June) game.

**Wind's Nocturne-**Thankyou so much for your review, I really appreciate it. I'm very happy that you like how Seifer turned out. I was a little hesitant at first to make him so...weird.

**Hito me bore**- always a pleasure to hear from you. I enjoyed reading your story so much I spammed. Check out the second paragraph. I mean it, truly amazing stuff. Nice job!

XxX

"It's about time you got yourselves together...been waitin' here for ever."

"I know sir, we're doing the best we can."

"Well, your best is awfully _slow!"_

"Please go to sleep."

"I see what this is! This is some kind of trick! You want to get me to sleep so I can't unearth the system for what it truly is! You're nothing but a government puppet bent on destroying mankind one dose of your poisonous medication at a time! I'm just the only one that knows the truth!"

"I said it was an _anti_-toxin."

"Lies, all lies!"

Leon rubbed his eyes. Cid, the man that had fallen off of his porch in a drunken stupor not a week earlier had somehow found himself back at the hospital with _another_ hangover (this time he had tried ballroom dancing...with a lamp) and had stayed long enough to contract the disease.

Currently, the hangover was wearing off, but his temper had not died down at all, and it was leaving Leon with a small, but inconvenient headache.

Leon coughed. "I'm going to leave now, please get some rest." He gritted his teeth. The long hours of work were wearing down on his nerves and his pre-constructed wall of reserve. It was getting just the slightest bit difficult to remain pleasant to all of his patients. He left the room just in time to avoid a flurry of protest and yet another flying object: a pen.

Leaning against the door just outside of his latest patient's room, he rubbed his temples. Earlier that day, he was happy that the number of cases was relatively small compared to the amount of people they were housing. However, it didn't take long for all of that to change.

Within hours, several more people had either collapsed or cried out during the administration of the antibiotics—at which point Seifer promptly gave himself another dose and adorned yet another mask. There were so many people in fact, that Leon's clip board of patients was beginning to look like a poorly written attendance roster at a school.

Sometimes he had to squint to read his own hand writing.

Of course, being as short handed as they were and with the lock down blocking all entry and exit of any new doctors—most of which were probably very grateful—this left Leon bearing the brunt of the work.

As he would dart back and forth down the hallways, he would get occasional glances of sympathy from the nurses that dared to take a break in the cafeteria.

Leon coughed as he opened the door to the room, box tucked under his arm. With his not-sore-now-hurting back and almost overwhelming feeling of weariness, he didn't want sympathy.

He wanted a break.

XxX

At that moment Cloud wanted to yell.

At that moment, Cloud did yell...at Riku.

"Are you out of your mind!"

Riku shrugged, pulling out the bag of Styrofoam cups. "It sounds like a brilliant idea to me."

"It sounds like a not-going-to-happen idea to me!"

Riku pulled the pot from the gurgling machine and it hissed as the last few drops of coffee hit the hot plate.

"It's not going to hurt you."

"Yes, it most certainly will!" Cloud watched tempestuously as Riku inspected the pot before pouring some into a cup. "Why don't you do it?"

"I have to watch the stand."

"And I can't do it because..."

"You'll be delivering Leon some coffee." Riku smiled, loading the machine with the pot again.

Cloud was upset. He was more than upset, he was angry! The thought of Riku even suggesting such an idea made thoughts of clobbering Leon into the dust run through his mind.

But then...he couldn't help but be a little curious as to what his nemesis was doing currently. He hadn't seen him since he'd been swallowed up by the great maw of the people sea. Cloud glanced up at the clock.

The day had passed by so quickly, even though Riku and he weren't doing much. Already it was reaching the early morning of the next day. He couldn't believe they had spent the entire day perched up on top of the gift shop counter just watching the riots and uproars. He shifted.

The realization was slowly sinking in. How long would he have to stay here? The first day and a half was fleeting enough, but what about the second? Would he be consumed by the burden of inactivity?

Cloud hated being bored, and he especially hated being bored around a large quantity of people that were also getting bored. Would this be how he was to spend the next...however long the hospital decided?

He gritted his teeth together and muttered under his breath. He didn't at all like the amused smirk Riku was sending towards him. He glanced at the coffee, at the clock, the people in the waiting room, and then back at the coffee again.

Fine.

"I'll do it under one condition."

"What?"

"I get to drink the first cup."

XxX

Leon wobbled out of the last room on the list; the empty box hanging limply from his arm. During each visit, he had taken the liberty of stocking each room with the anti-toxin so as to rid himself of the box when he made the trip again.

That was one heavy empty box.

Thankfully, the patient he had been visiting was a calm one—something there seemed to be a shortage of—and he had to do little to keep them relaxed. They smiled when he had hooked up the IV and were even pleasant when he explained the symptoms and possible emergencies that needed to be reported. Most importantly however, they didn't ask for anything.

Leon's brow twitched. Save for Sora, Cid and the person he had just finished visiting, every one of his other twenty eight patients had asked for _something._ Apparently, sick meant _needy_ and doctor meant _servant_, because more than a fourth of the time, he was running errands. Maybe someone was too cold, so they wanted a blanket, or perhaps they were hungry and wanted Leon to bring them a boiled egg from the cafeteria.

Maybe no one understood what _immediate_ _concern_ meant.

At first, he had gladly elected a few nurses to take care of the amenities, but after enough of them "Needed to go get their shots from that _handsome _Dr. Almasy," or "Just needed a quick break," or better still, "Simply _couldn't _go on," Leon had to run the errands himself.

Perhaps a break was in order.

Tempted to just crash on the floor, he coughed, then wearily he turned his head to find a place where he could secretly take a snooze. To his utmost surprise, he found something even better.

Leon had always been a fan of his office. It was the only place where he could properly rest without getting disturbed, such as the lounge. He couldn't remember how many nights he had spent in there due to particularly heavy shifts where he was unable to return home.

Apparently, he had been so busy flying up and down hallways and corridors, that he'd failed to notice how close his office had been. There, no farther than a stone's throw away, was his magnificent, well organized sleeping quarters. Later on he would have to kick himself for not noticing earlier, but for the moment, he was far too tired to complain.

Coughing heavily, he hobbled a short distance down the hallway to his office, and fished around in his pocket for he key. Without hesitation, he plunged it into the hole, and gave it a rough turn. Home at last.

XxX

Cloud frowned, as Riku fitted his hand with Leon's coffee, and gave him a coffee stirrer even though he took Leon as the type to drink his coffee black.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cloud asked as a last resort.

"Yes. Don't spill that." Riku replied. Then he commented, "You're really going to make this into a big deal, aren't you?"

"If it'll help me, then yes."

"Since it won't, I'm asking you to be pleasant."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"I mean it." A flicker of distress crossed Riku's face, but Cloud ignored it, preparing himself for departure. Getting through all of those people would not be easy.

"Have a good time!" Riku called out as Cloud forcefully made his way through the mass. He passed by the woman and her children that had all but flattened Leon earlier, but decided against asking her to join his anti-Leon army. He also passed by Seifer, who was attempting to get past as well. Cloud was having a little more luck.

It didn't take him long to reach Leon's office after he had waded his way through the crowd. Actually, he had hoped the trip would have taken longer. He rather fancied the idea of delivering _cold_ coffee.

He stared at the door for a moment, deciding how best to enter. Should he just open the door, or should he knock? Images of Riku yelling at him filtered through his mind, and so he took the latter choice and knocked.

There was no reply.

He frowned. Perhaps he just wasn't heard. Cloud knocked again and was met with more silence. Outrage was starting to take over. There was no way he was going to come all that way, swimming through all those people for his trip to be wasted. If Leon wasn't in his office then Cloud was just as content leaving the cup on the floor with a note attached explaining his anger in graphic detail.

Fully annoyed, he tried knocking again, this time, he put a little more force behind his fist. Cloud waited a minute before hearing a quiet, muffled, "Come in."

The words took a moment to register.

This was something he wasn't expecting. Now that he was permitted to enter, he had suddenly lost the fearless anger and arrogance that had been simply saturating his body not seconds before.

Now he was feeling a tiny bit apprehensive, as if exploring new territory for the first time. The thought occurred to him that he had never actually been this far back in the hospital, much less near Leon's office. All other times he had come into contact with the doctor, he had been on familiar territory.

This would be...interesting.

Taking a deep breath and trying to appear casual, Cloud twisted the knob.

The office was far less elaborate than Cloud had thought. He was met with immediate darkness, but the light that filtered in from outside gave him a clear enough view of the neatly stacked papers and polished black desk.

The next thing he noticed—Cloud thought the list was slightly out of order—was Leon, who was holding himself upright by the corner of his desk.

Cloud raised an eyebrow.

"What...can I do for you—oh." Leon muttered until he turned around realizing his visitor was none other than Cloud. He flashed a frown toward him and positioned himself so that he was more or less standing with the aid of a desk.

Cloud returned the frown, sizing the doctor up. Apparently he had caught him either sleeping or crying. He hadn't enough information on either for him to come to a proper conclusion.

"What do you want?" Leon asked punctuating he question with a raspy cough.

Instead of answering, Cloud stood watching Leon curiously. He was starting to droop forward, but then caught himself in a sad attempt to look composed. It reminded Cloud of a wounded puppy in an ally protecting itself from the cold, harsh rain...

...But Cloud never really much cared for animals anyway, so he simply commented tactlessly. "You look like crap."

"...And yet my question goes unanswered." Leon muttered, swaying slightly.

Cloud shrugged. "Riku asked me to bring you coffee. It wasn't my idea. Personally I think you should have come down and gotten your own."

Leon didn't say anything, prompting Cloud to continue. He walked forward, setting the cup on the desk.

"I hope you like cream and sugar because I didn't bring you any." He glanced up at Leon who's head was bobbing up and down a little.

"Hm," He watched with interest as one of Leon's hands slipped steadily off the edge of the desk. Cloud's eyebrow twitched with a startling realization.

"Hey, are you even awake?" he screeched, the outrage from earlier quickly sinking back in. Leon moaned softly, affirming Cloud's accusation.

He was hopping mad now. First Riku had forced him to come down and nicely deliver coffee to the very person that he despised above all other people he had ever met, then said person appeared to be absent from the office he should have been inside in the first place, but was_ actually_ there, and now this person had the gall to fall asleep when he was trying irritatingly hard to be pleasant!

The lot of it was simply intolerable.

Cloud stepped forward like a great bear, pointing his finger forward. (Actually, the scene wasn't as intimidating as it could have been had Cloud remembered to take off the pink striped apron.)

"Listen you, I've had just about all I can take!"

Leon's other hand was starting to slip from the desk.

"How dare you just _fall asleep_ when I'm obviously trying to be...pleasant!"

Slowly, Leon started to sink forward.

Cloud jabbed Leon in the chest. "If it's one thing I can't stand, it's arrogant, cheeky, and down right uncivil doctors who think they can just get away with..." Cloud was cut off as Leon fell forward, crashing into Cloud's chest.

"...everything..."

XxX

That's all for chapter eight. Nine will be up soon!


	9. Feeling VERY Tired

Hello! _Smacks self in face_ I've completely ignored my better judgement and posted this chapter in all it's corny horrible-ness. Yes, I'm fully aware of it, but decided not to fix it, as that would cause me to...have to fix it. Just so you're aware, I was completely coherent when I typed this, so I'm not blindly thinking this is a "masterpiece" only to get screamed at later. You've had adequate warning.

Flames are expected.

Thank-you's

**Childhood Aspirations-**Loveyour name! Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you read it even though you're not into Yaoi. I tried to make this story more of a "what do _you_ thin the relationship means?" kind of thing, but it does have some distinctly shonen-Ai themes. I'd love to see the picture that your sister drew! It sounds awesome. PM me, okay? I drew a picture of Riku in braided pigtails once. That was slightly unrelated... anyway, thanks so much! I'm ELATED!

**Wends**- Thank you so much for the review! I really appreciate it! Hey, don't worry about the ages. _I_ could be wrong for all I know. That's just what I got from my source (which I don't remember...where was that again?) Anywhoo, I'm glad you liked the story. I'd love to smack Cloud too, but you know, I don't think I could do it without hugging him. Vincent! I need you to come here for a minute! Bring Leon! Heheh!

Alright, that's it. I don't own, don't sue!

* * *

The body against him was hot; unnaturally so. His head rested at an awkward angle in the crook of Cloud's arm and his body—which Cloud instinctively threw his arms around for support lest they both fall over—was sagged so completely against him, he felt similar to a wall. 

"Hey...what are you doing?"

The reply was simple. There was none.

"Um...Hey..."

Still no response.

"Hey!"

When there was no response for the third time, Cloud tilted his head backward and let out a long, baleful groan. He didn't even want to deliver the coffee, much less become some odd support beam. He was getting agitated, his legs were getting tired and slowly the realization was sinking in that doctors—especially this one—weren't nearly as light as they looked.

Cloud's eyebrows curved downward sharply. "Oh no you don't. You're going to wake up right this second and explain to me what you think you're doing! Then you're going to apologize to me profusely until I've decided that you've made a proper idiot of yourself, and then you're going to haul your carcass down to that fantastic little gift shop, put on an apron and deliver coffee to _me_ in _my _office and it had better be done pleasantly!" Roughly, he gripped Leon's shoulders, bending him backwards a little, and shook him with enough force to shake a gum wad off the top branch of a redwood.

Honestly, this was far too much trauma for one bloody cup of coffee.

Leon's head bobbed forward and backward in tandem with Cloud's furious movement, but as for stirring, there wasn't much action. After Cloud had paused to check his progress, Leon's head sank forward against Cloud's shoulder.

"Argh, I don't believe this! Why me?" He shifted his weight. "Why did it have to be me!" Cloud gripped Leon's shoulders again and pushed him backwards just enough so that he stood almost upright, and held him there. He thought this a proper position for him to yell without having to twist up his neck.

"Listen you, there's no reason _anyone_ should be this hard a sleeper unless they're me, or dead. If I find out you're really awake and are just doing this to stress me out..."

Cloud sighed. Talking to the unconscious was getting him nowhere. The thought occurred to him to leave him there and let someone else deal with it. He actually looked around for a clear space on the floor.

He groaned. No matter how much he really wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to just _leave_ him there. The floor was cold, and even though Leon was beastly, rude, arrogant, etc. and had absolutely no need for empathy, Cloud knew he wouldn't want someone to leave _him_ stranded so he wouldn't do it for Leon.

He narrowed his eyes. Of all people...it had to be Leon. He shifted so that he was leaning against him again, but situated himself so that it wasn't such a mad tangle of limbs. Now that he was comfortable—somewhat—he took immediate notice of how warm Leon was, unnaturally warm...

...alarmingly warm.

Staring at him quizzically, Cloud didn't gather much because most of his face was obscured behind a fall of brown hair, and most importantly because Cloud most certainly was not a doctor.

He didn't shrug it off, but decided to leave it to someone that actually knew what they were doing. Gingerly, he eased toward the door, more or less dragging Leon for the short distance. The five and a half foot trip wasn't exactly a journey, but with the doctor hanging limply under his arm, and the overall difficulty he was having, Cloud wished he had packed a water bottle and some trail mix.

What had prompted this all of a sudden? Cloud wondered as he dragged on another few inches. He hadn't really paid much attention to Leon's condition during the day—mainly because he was scarcely seen, but Cloud would have told anyone that it was because he just didn't care.

When he did have contact, Cloud did recall seeing him a little worn, but he couldn't be sure because a second later he was flattened by that battalion of little kids...

So, other than Leon glaring at him, Cloud having a feeling he wanted to douse with gasoline and burn...there wasn't really anything he could think of that would warrant such a melt down...unless...

Cloud stopped. Vaguely he recalled that odd blonde doctor waving around a needle and Leon shrugging it off before running down another hallway. Maybe Leon should have gotten that injection after all...maybe...

Leon was sick.

Cloud allowed the irony to sink in for a moment. He really didn't think doctors could get sick, but apparently, there were acceptions to every rule. Life really did change in times of crisis. He would have to give himself a pat on the back later on for coming to a conclusion surely no one else was brilliant enough to think of due to the sheer improbability of it all!

* * *

Riku paced all around the interior behind the counter. He had given up caring why it was taking Cloud so long to get back, after all it was just a simple cup of coffee. There were far too may reasons for his laggard return and undoubtedly Cloud would find the most complicated one. Riku expected the story to be entertaining at the least. 

For now though, his thoughts were tangled around Sora and how he was doing. He hadn't gotten a chance to visit for almost a day and he was worried about how he was fairing.

He glanced at the tempestuous crowd, collecting against the front desk. He didn't know what they thought they were doing. Seifer had left ages ago and he had taken the box with him, so there really wasn't much over there. Perhaps they had found a dropped needle and were arguing over who would receive the first contaminated shot.

The thought occurred to him that he could sneak by and possibly visit Sora for a short moment and then quietly sneak back. Leon was nowhere in sight and since he doubted the also absent Dr. Almasy would care what he did, he could probably do it without getting caught.

Of course, with his level of stealth, he would probably walk in Sora's room just as Leon was finishing up an examination and get himself in trouble...but not particularly caring at this point, he made up his mind. He was going to go visit Sora. He really hoped that Cloud wasn't rubbing off on him.

Slipping off his apron and hoisting himself up on top of the counter then jumping over it, he ducked down low so as not to be seen. He waited until the only nurse there scurried off in a flurry of white to assist someone that had fallen over, and advanced forward.

Riku smiled to himself. The whole venture was almost fun. Were he with Sora and not going to find him, he knew he would turn it into a game. They would be spies, infiltrating an underground secret base, scouring the labs section by section for the radioactive chemical that turned lead into gold. Or maybe they would be escaped lab experiments, spliced with genes from the legendary red panther, gifted with stealth and strength and trying to avoid the wicked scientist that wanted to once again cage them in a miserable underground cell.

Sora was like that, always far to immature for his age but somehow perfectly balancing his immaturity with complete rationality. Riku couldn't remember how many times they had been sitting apathetically in the gift shop on slow days and Sora would invent some wild and bizarre game that would keep them rolling on the floor until customers were impatiently lined up in front of the register.

He quickly darted down the hall, and waited. He wondered if Cloud had this much difficulty getting around. Then he remembered Cloud had the cover of commotion, so he didn't have much to worry about as far as being caught, not to mention everone in the hospital seemed to have a sort of addiction to coffee. Perhaps they were just hoping the valuable drink was being delivered to them.

Either way, Riku briskly made his way to Sora's room, turning corners, passing through corridors. The whole venture was really rather confusing. Had he not memorized the location from the night before, he more than likely would not have reached the point for quite a long while after.

Turning a corner and narrowly avoiding a sharp clip from a nurse with a medicine cart, he scurried toward the only door in that long hallway that mattered to him.

Standing outside, he felt a little odd. He knew he wasn't supposed to be back there in the first place, so it wasn't his voice of reason whispering. It was something different. There was something he was apprehensive about, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Riku shrugged it off. He was here to see Sora, and would figure the rest of it out later. Carefully, he pushed the door open. "Sora?"

* * *

After changing his method three or four times, Cloud had finally managed to all but carry Leon to the door and kick said door open with one foot—a challenging task. For such a small space and such a short distance, the whole venture was really rather ridiculous. 

"Alright," he said with a huff, leaning against the door frame and holding Leon up by the waist. "Is anyone out there?"

There was no response save for the dull echo of the shouting lobby occupants. Perhaps all the staff had gone to assist the screaming fury of rioters and no one was left in the back rooms. This was something Cloud thought improper, as the majority of the help was needed with the actual patients. After a fleeting thought that he ought to be the one running the hospital because he could obviously do it better, he continued to his task of finding somebody—anybody—to aid the fallen Leon.

A few seconds passed, and nothing had changed. The halls were still stark white and empty, and the only thing that had happened occurred about twenty five paces down the right side of the hall where a fluorescent light began to blink. Cloud looked down at Leon.

He looked rather rag doll like as he hung feverish and limp in Cloud's arm. His face had a pale pallor, like talc, but his eyes had darkish rings around them, sunken and tired. As Cloud noted before, his body was very warm with sickness. Experimentally, he put a hand to Leon's forehead, and sure enough, it was smoldering. The rest of his body hung like syrup dripping off a spoon, but still had the frailty of fenton glass. It was then Cloud noticed it was shaking just a little. It was nothing extreme, not a violent twitch or a tremor, but a light shaking motion almost like a sporadic vibration. This was a sign he assumed, was not good.

Cloud held Leon tighter to him, getting a sinking feeling as Leon's head bobbed so loosely with his movements. Cloud didn't particularly favor him—everyone knew it, and if they didn't by then, there were some communication issues on a global scale—but he didn't get any satisfaction from seeing him in such a vulnerable condition. He felt genuinely bad. That cocky and irritating doctor with poise and pristine he had grown to despise was now hanging quietly under his arm, inadvertently depending on his own least liked person to get him help.

As a doctor, Leon was inclined to help those he disfavored, even people like Cloud, after all that was part of the requisite. Cloud however, in his line of work should have been but was not necessarily required to feel the same—and he certainly didn't—about aiding those he disliked, especially doctors, but yet here he was, carting Leon around an all but deserted hallway to find him some medical attention.

It was as if they were trapped in some moralistic fable...

Cloud snorted. He hated fables...

...especially moral ones.

Unable to keep himself from giving Leon another tight squeeze, he did so, then with a new found reassurance, made his way down the hall.

He had passed maybe three or four rooms down the hall with the blinking light before taking a break. Each one was occupied with patients equally as terrible looking as Leon, and some even worse, as they sent Cloud angry glares when he kicked their doors open. There seemed to be no vacancies; no place to temporarily store the brunet until he could find someone to help him.

Cloud's origional plan was to bring Leon _to_ someone, but quickly deciding that he couldn't possibly continue on that way for much longer, he chose this plan.

However, there seemed to be no place to put him. If each of the rooms were full, then Cloud would be forced to prop him up against a wall in the hallway...

He didn't like that idea at all. Readjusting his position, he continued forward, leaving kicked doors and unhappy patients in his wake until he was positive he was going to collapse.

Then suddenly, Cloud reaching his limit, and his legs wearing out, he came upon it. Shining in all it's darkness, and speaking volumes with all it's silence was a perfectly unoccupied room.

Relieved, Cloud flicked on the light. It was perfect. There was a bed, a small table, and even a chair where Cloud could sit to rest himself for a while. His joy was uncontainable.

Carefully, he made his way over to the metal framed bed and gently placed Leon on it. He examined the position he had laid him in, making sure he at least looked comfortable. His shoes were still on, but he didn't bother himself with the details. Soon, he'd have someone else to fuss over the doctor and Cloud could take a much deserved break. All that was left to do was find another doctor, something the hospital was sure to be full of.

Exiting, he bounded down the hallway, happy at how light he felt, he scanned the area for familiar white lab coats. There weren't as many as Cloud had expected.

Actually, there were none...

But not to be discouraged, Cloud continued on, memorizing which room he had stored Leon in, and hoping that he could find someone. He traveled down hallway after hallway, searching, yet never finding.

It became apparent after a few halls.

This hospital was void of anyone that could help.

Ready to pound the wall at his failure, Cloud heard a small noise from around the corner. It was a sort of quiet muttering, with sporadic yelps and growls mixed in. Curious...

Cloud silently peeked around the corner. There was a body, crouched down on the floor, rocking back and forth on its heels and talking to itself. He raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head to get a better look. This was that blonde doctor from earlier, Dr. Almasy.

Cloud stood out in the open, arms akimbo, waiting rather impatiently for him to turn around, but instead, Seifer just went on muttering and rocking as though he were the only one there.

Under normal conditions, he would have just stood there, waiting to see how long it would take for Seifer to _notice_ that he wasn't alone, but Leon needed attention, and he didn't have time to enjoy the moment properly.

"Hey."

Seifer jumped up, flipping himself around and nearly crashing into the wall. His eyes were wide with shock and he immediately pulled his coat around himself for protection.

"Get away from me! I don't want any of your bacteria! I'm too young to die! Can't you see I'm young? I want to see the world!"

Cloud frowned, folding his arms. The scene was nothing short of embarrassing. He could understand the shock of it all, but behaving this way was a little extreme; so extreme he was getting annoyed.

"I'm not sick! Now get up so you can help me!" His shout went on unheard as Seifer wailed something about wanting to sample borscht while scaling Mount Kholodilnik in Russia.

Already having been pushed over the edge and back again, and the image of Leon laying limply on a bed with no one to look after him, Cloud's impatience was soaring. He didn't have time to deal with this.

"Look," he said, gripping Seifer by the collar who had just turned a fascinating shade of green, "I need you to come help someone, you're a doctor so make an effort to live up to your title!"

"Look, you have no idea what it's like! People are screaming for attention, when all I want is to be left alone!"

"If you don't get up and help me, I'll personally carry you back to the lobby and shout as loud as humanly possible that your blood is the cure to the disease."

Seifer seemed to consider the proposition for a moment. "Sounds fair," he said simply.

"Good."

"Shall we? You lead."

Cloud rolled his eyes, and together, the two of them made their way down the hall towards Leon's room.

"So, where is this person that so _urgently_ needs my attention? Why isn't Leon dealing with it? Whoever it is had better not have this Diphtheria thing, or I'll be outta here faster than you can say 'Oh, hey, that guy sure was in a hurry!'"

Cloud snorted, and lead him down the final corridor. He opened the door with a quick wrench of his hand, and just as left was Leon, still and silent on the hosptital bed.

Seifer's first reaction was silence. His eyes enlarged a bit and his lips curved into an undefined expression that Cloud guessed was a mixture of quizzical interest and curious disbelief. He stood that way for a few seconds, just staring wide eyed, until slowly but surely, hysteria had set in. Just then he realized that he was the one Cloud had elected to care for this individual—the head doctor, his superior and quite possibly the most unlucky person in the whole hospital—that if he made even one mistake on...

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

"What have you done to him!" Seifer's eyes rolled back as he pulled on his face. "Is he dead? He's dead isn't he? Oh he's dead, dead, dead as can be!"

Cloud didn't hesitate to deliver a instantly silencing slap across Seifer's face. "He's not dead."

"Oh." He readjusted his jaw. "Well...um...let me think..."

* * *

Okay! So ends Chapter nine. The story will be over in the next few chapters (I haven't decided where yet) and I'll post Diphtheria info at the end of the last chapter. I don't know why, maybe because I feel as though it wasn't explained properly through out the story. If you have any questions or whatever, send 'em in and I'll answer them in the last chapter. Don't feel rushed, you've got a while. 

Review please!


	10. Bed Rest

Hello all! Thank you for reading chapter ten. Really, I'm grinning, especially after you had to put up with the absolute crap that was chapter nine. I'm not here to vent. What's done is done. Let's move forward shall we? Oh darn, we've hit a snare. It appears as though chapter ten isn't much better... I just hope you like it.

I've been gone a while, ne? It's been almost a month! I've had several consecutive band competitions to attend and of course they're scheduled on the days I decide to update. However, marching season is almost over, and I'll soon be able to spend more time writing! Ah, the joys of being a band geek...scratch that, genius.

Thank you's

**AquilaStrife-** Thank you for the review! The email thing isn't working? I wonder how many chapter updates I've missed. You don't think I can write a bad chapter? WHAT? THAT'S IT, YOU'RE GETTING MY ENTIRE REPERTOIRE OF CLC RELATED MERCHANDISE! I LOVE YOU! I've reached a whole new level of elation. I'm so glad you liked it! As for the games, no worries, they're both worth the wait!

**Wends- **Thank you so much for your review. Sorry about the cheesy-ness. I was fully aware and went against my better judgement and updated it anyway. Nothing more to say. Seifer made you cringe? Really? Hm, sorry about that too. I hope you enjoy chapter ten a little better!

Okay, now that's that's finished, on with the chapter!

* * *

"Hey, Sora," Riku called, pushing the door open gently. "Are you awake?" There was no vocal reply, but he was greeted with the whirring and beeping of the various machines Sora was hooked up to.

"I'm coming in." He thought for a minute, then added, "if that's alright." He listened again. The sheets rustled as Sora moved around on his mattress, but Riku still hadn't gotten the answer he wanted.

He was expecting a brash exclamation as to why he hadn't visited earlier, and maybe some loudly shouted complaining; anything but this odd, unsettling silence. He could have been asleep, but being that Sora was such a light sleeper, he doubted it.

"Okay, then, I'm coming in." He pushed the door open completely and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He could barely make out the bed with the stream of light that shot in from the door, and thankfully, he had noticed the stool sitting in the middle of the floor before he tripped over it.

"Sora?" Closing the door behind him, he made his way slowly over to the bedside of his favorite co-worker, and leaned forward as he walked to get a look at him. There was another rustle of the sheets.

"It's me." Riku squinted. He could just make out two eyes staring back. "How are you feeling?"

Sora didn't say anything. His dormancy was maddening. Riku, for some unexplainable reason, could feel a distinctly pressing force billowing up in his chest. He stepped closer still, stopping when his foot touched the frame of the bed. He paused, not exactly sure of what to do. It was dark, too dark to see much, and he didn't want to turn on the light for fear of seeing something he didn't want to see.

"Sora," he tried again. "I wanted to see how you were doing...that's kind of impossible. It's really dark in here."

He couldn't make out anything specific, but he could see the glint in Sora's eyes from some unknown light source.

He waited patiently for something, anything to ease his growing apprehension. Never would he have expected to be so fearful for his friend.

Then, he felt something curl diffidently around his fingers.

Holding his breath, he moved them a little and was surprised to feel a little pressure pushing back. He could feel the smooth coolness of an IV wire against the back of his wrist, but it wasn't alarming.

He gulped. "Sora?"

Sora's fingers curled tighter around Riku's.

"...Your hands," Sora rasped suddenly, pausing to settle some of the pain in his throat. "They're clammy."

Riku's eyebrows shot upward. It was an odd greeting, but a greeting none the less. Satisfied to hear Sora's voice, bejeweled with his typical offhandedness, he smiled. "Sorry."

"You ought to be."

* * *

"Eh...I guess that's enough. Not all of us are medical geniuses like _some _people. Ironic isn't it?"

"Are you finished yet?" Cloud asked, impatiently tapping his foot. They had been sitting there the better part of half an hour while Seifer figured out what he was going to do, and then another half an hour was spent waiting for him to figure out how to do it.

"Yeah, yeah." He turned one final knob on the respirator that he was adjusting. 'I'm finished."

Cloud glanced over at Leon, then stared furiously at Seifer. "What exactly are you finished doing?"

"Um..."

"Well?"

"Okay...yeah, telling you might be beneficial..."

"I'm listening."

He studied his clipboard for a moment, frowned, took out a pen and scratched something out, re-wrote something, then smiled. "Okay, yeah, I uh, put him on a respirator."

Cloud gritted his teeth. "Anything else?"

"Hang on a minute...right. I also ran an IV of 40,000 units of Diphtheria Immunoglobulin...I guess that's how you pronounce it...and... hooked him to a bunch of machines you wouldn't even be able to begin to understand how to read."

"Great."

His expression suddenly changed. He looked uncharacteristically serious. "Wait...there's something else I should tell you."

"What?

He straitened his throat and held the clipboard to his chest. "If something, anything goes wrong..." He paused. He made sure their eyes were locked in unblinking seriousness. "...Do NOT call me. I'm not going to be in charge of messing up the head doctor. Get someone else."

"What?!" Cloud's face crumpled in outrage. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You heard me," Seifer said dismissing him with a wave of the hand. "I'm getting out of here. If he wakes up and has questions, lie."

"No, come back here! I'm not staying!"

But it was too late. Seifer was out the door in a huff, going off to some unknown location, and Cloud was left reaching out to the door for someone that wouldn't be coming back through.

"I don't believe this."

Silence responded.

"I hate hospitals."

Vexed that his situation was not going to change, and too exhausted to come up with good, reasonable excuse to leave, he slouched back into the chair and kicked his feet up on the stool. Being charitable had its drawbacks.

He closed his eyes and let out a long, drawn out sigh. He didn't want to be here, much less with Leon, and even lesser with a sick Leon, but somehow managed to work his way into the worst possible circumstance anyway. Strangely though, it wasn't so bad.

The room wasn't exactly home, but it wasn't terrible, and the chair he was in was actually rather comfortable—save for the crack in the back part that kept catching his shirt. Leon was all but silent over there on the bed, so he wouldn't have to listen to his complaining, and the soft hum of the respirator was actually rather calming after a while.

The air itself smelled like disinfectant and plastic, but it was surprisingly warm and almost therapeutic. Cloud felt his eyes drooping. The sound of the respirator was starting to mix with the sound of his own breath. His feet on the stool were becoming strangely fuzzy and the stool melted into the floor, and walls. Everything was hazy and improbable, but perfectly serene. A quick nap wouldn't hurt, Cloud decided, closing his eyes and drifting off.

* * *

Riku was still holding onto Sora's hand, although nothing else had been said. Riku had sat down on the rolling stool that he had almost tripped over earlier, and was now lying on Sora's pillow with the tips of his spiky hair tickling his nose. Careful not to hurt him, he squeezed his fingers a little tighter and laid both their hands over Sora's chest.

He wasn't exactly sure if Sora had fallen asleep, but didn't want to chance waking him up. Instead, he just held his position, moving only to blink. It was pointless since the room was so dark, but Riku could barely make out the spikes on Sora's head and the image made him happy.

He wondered how long he would have to stay in this dark room. He wondered how long it would take for Sora to finally get better. He hoped it wouldn't be long, as he seemed to be hooked up to enough machienes to generate a small city, and he had been given quite a lot of medication as well.

He hoped the doctors knew what they were doing, and would soon help Sora, especially Sora, recover.

The thought occurred to him that Leon should have been in here tending o him, but then he remembered the scores of other patients and the lack of hospital staff as well. He would have to ask Leon later about Sora's progress and maybe, just maybe he could get actual _permission_ to visit and wouldn't have to sneak in anymore.

Of Course he would have to actually _find_ Leon, a task he wasn't sure he had the energy to bother with. That guy seemed to be everywhere at once, darting here, flying there, stopping only once in a while to pick up a revitalizing cup of coffee. Maybe Cloud knew where he was.

Riku scrunched up his face. Cloud was an enigma. Even if he did know where Leon was, (he probably did) he most likely wouldn't tell him, because he thought with his pride, not with rationality. In Cloud's twisted little mind, knowing about Leon was some sort of moral infringement, and he was certainly not about to admit it to Riku.

He also wondered where Cloud was in the first place. He hadn't seen him in what felt like ages, and he was certain it didn't take _that_ long to give someone a cup of coffee. Maybe he couldn't find Leon, in which case he would have returned eons ago and would have had the cup himself.

Poor guy, maybe he had gotten lost, or flattened in the lobby by the mob of sick people, maybe both.

He felt Sora fidget a little and instinctively squeezed his hand tighter. Whatever Cloud was doing at the moment Riku was sure he could handle it himself. Besides, there was nothing Riku could do to help; he was busy at the moment.

* * *

There was an odd sound. It was a soft beep. Actually, it was a stream of soft beeps, beeping in a perfect rhythm. Then, the beeping became more distinct, and there was a hum added to the mix. It was as if the cotton had been pulled from his ears.

He noticed how cold his hands were. He didn't move them, they were too stiff. His feet felt the same way, though they were less free than his hands. His head though had an entirely different feeling. It was as if the cotton from his ears had been quadrupled in size, then rammed into the space his brain was not willing to give up. The result was a tremendous headache which made him want to go back to where he was before he felt all these sensations.

Willing himself to continue, he pried his eyes open and was immediately hit with a dull, yellow light. It wasn't blinding, but it was still bright enough so that he had to blink several times to adjust to it. This was not a familiar place.

He opened his mouth to speak, but quickly realized that it wasn't going to happen very easily. He felt something positively horrible sticking to the back of his throat, preventing him from making any recognizable sounds. He would have to work through this.

He let het his eyes droop to the left, and there was someone, someone very blonde, fast asleep in the chair next to him.

...Cloud...

* * *

There! Chapter ten is finished! Chapter eleven will be much better, followed by chapter twelve, and that's the end! Again, if you have any questions about Diphtheria, then send 'em to me, and I'll answer them in chapter twelve.

Oh, also, check my Bio page for story updates etc. (keep in mind, they are only approximations.)


	11. Awaken

Hello everyone, thank you for joining me in chapter 11. I apologize for the delay, I was involved in Nano-wrimo for the entire month of November and was forced to dedicate every spare minute to the completion of my novel. With that successful, I am now able to dedicate my time to Rose Tinted. Is it not interesting that this is the second to last chapter? There really isn't much left to dedicate myself to, now is there? Well, regardless, please enjoy!

Thank you's:

**Andrea**- Thank you so much for your thoughts, I really appreciate them! Here's the next chapter, coming at you!

**Wind's Nocturne- **Hello! I'm happy to hear from you again! I'm also very glad that you like Seifer's character. Comic relief is a good thing! As for Sora...maybe he'll get better? Mehheheh!

**Wends**- I'm glad you had those twenty seconds to review, I appreciate it! Yes, Seifer has calmed down a little, perhaps he's getting used to the fact that he's not as gorgeous as Leon and Cloud! Bwahah!

**Childhood aspirations- **Istill adore your name. Thank you for reviewing, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well.

Sorry I wasn't able to reply to all of you as intelligently as I usually like to, but, to put it flatly, I'm tired (This; however, is _not_ to insinuate that I am not grateful!). Regardless of my flat Thank you's, please enjoy! _(Bows out of dojo)_

* * *

Cloud arched his back and held onto the chair arms for support. It may have seemed comfortable when he first sat down, but the line of pain running from his neck to his tail bone provided a devastating argument. 

Glancing over to his right, rubbing his sore spine, and dimly noting that the stool he had propped his legs on the night before had slid out against the wall, he saw Leon's eyes staring dully at the ceiling.

So Leon had woken up.

This could be awkward.

Straitening his throat, he warily approached the bed. He wasn't really in the mood to start any unnecessary conflict. He just figured he'd say something, since he was of course a very polite individual.

"Hey," he said casually. Leon rolled his glazed eyes in Cloud's general direction, then returned them to the ceiling.

"Okay..." He sat back down in his chair. "So..."

Leon interrupted him. "Where am I?" He grimaced at the thick substance in the back of his throat that inhibited his speech.

"The hospital."

Leon seemed to roll the thought over in his mind for a while before responding. "Why?"

"...You work here."

"But...I'm in a ..."

"Bed?"

He nodded.

"You passed out."

"...Then how did I..."

"I carried you here." Cloud said simply.

"Why did you..."

"Because I'm a nice guy, and yes, you were very, very heavy."

There was a brief span of silence. So...he had been carried here? That made no sense. Cloud was definitely not the type of person to do something so... humane. He would have expected, assuming the rest of what Cloud said was true, to be lying on the floor of his office, in a pool of cold coffee, dust, and empty sugar packets. _That _seemed like the more Cloud-esque thing to do.

He eyed Cloud suspiciously. There was no trace of falsity on his face. In fact, he seemed rather complacent.

He grimaced. There was no real evidence that Cloud wasn't telling the truth. However, it was still hard to believe that someone so smug could possibly be so civil as to actually carry him to a hospital room, a nice one at that. It was on his tongue to tell him as much, but the motivation had left him. He didn't want to come off as ungrateful. In fact, he actually appreciated this uncharacteristically kind act.

Actually, it was alarmingly kind. It was kind enough to rewrite everything he had known about this rowdy coffee boy. It was kind enough for Leon to feel...dare he think it... a hint of gratitude towards him. Unfortunately, that meant proper due was in order.

He stared pointedly at him. Instinctively, Cloud stiffened.

"..." This would be hard. Thinking it was one thing, but forming it into words was a different matter entirely.

"...What?"

Leon fought back a scowl and muttered something barely audible, as if he were testing something on his tongue. This was not something he was used to, and it wasn't something he wanted to _become_ used to.

"Sorry, couldn't quite catch that." Cloud yawned, positioning himself back into the chair.

This was followed by some slightly louder muttering.

"That wasn't much better, I'm afraid."

Gulping, Leon squeezed his eyes shut. "...I said...thank you."

Cloud let the words settle in. Was this what he thought it was? Suddenly, his eyebrows shot upward. "You're thanking me?"

Leon nodded slowly. Every cubic centimeter of pride drained out of his body at that moment.

"Oh...wow."

He was silent, waiting for the roaring laughter, the jibing, and the ridicule.

"Well," He chuckled, "I was expecting a _glower_ or something in return, but, hey, this works too."

This wasn't exactly laughter, but regardless, a vein in Leon's temple throbbed.

"I mean, you know, someone as crabby as you are...I didn't think you people were capable of thank you's. I guess you proved me wrong."

It throbbed a little more.

Cloud tipped his head upward in thought. "...And not only are you crabby, but you're mean, selfish, and cold hearted. I used to think you were like...menopausal or something. I'm really impressed that you changed my mind, well...the menopausal part at least."

Sighing inwardly, Leon decided against saying some off handed remark about Cloud's stupidity, and instead settled on a reluctant nod. Cloud seemed pleased at the moment anyway, so as soon as he was healthy again, Leon would find a more creative way to destroy it.

He watched as Cloud leaned back in the chair and get his shirt caught in the long crack running down the plastic. This individual somehow looked different.

Watching Cloud curse the crack and work his shirt free, he squinted. This guy wasn't the same whiny, idiotic, underbred shop boy that never served him coffee without a wry comment.

He was the whiny, idiotic, underbred shop boy...with character.

He stared curiously. Cloud, having freed himself, settled back and began to talk. He seemed comfortable at the moment, but Leon wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the 'thank you' that had somehow cleared a space for relaxation. Maybe Cloud was trying his best to be civil.

Maybe Leon was still sleepy...

Never before had they shared a sentence that wasn't dripping with disapproval or vengeance, but here Cloud was caught up with a rant on that morning's hassles. He groaned at how he hated children coming into his shop, muttered something rude about the elderly people being too indecisive for his liking, and he said something very offensive about flowers serving no real purpose to the benefit of mankind.

This was sort of bizarre, but never the less intriguing.

He wound himself in a slightly more dramatic retelling of how he had saved Leon from certain death and destruction when he single handedly pulled him from the dark office. Leon chose to ignore the part about the _flesh eating zombies_, and he completely dismissed the _roaring flames that encircled the only exit._

Cloud was just getting around the part about how flying broken glass had stabbed him in the leg but his perseverance kept him trudging forever forward, when Leon began to feel his body get heavier.

He didn't know how long he had been awake, but he was feeling as though it was too long. His eye lids were getting heavier by the moment. Cloud seemed to notice this, and wound things up with a very self-praising conclusion.

"That's pretty much it. Of course, if you want all the technical stuff, you'll have to bring that up with Dr. Almasy." Mentally, Cloud snickered.

Leon, however, did not find it funny at all. "Seifer? What do you mean Seifer?" He whispered.

"Eh? Oh, he was the one that hooked you up to all that equipment. He told me to lie about—"

"You're kidding me..." Leon closed his eyes and Cloud stared at him quizzically. Seifer was a brilliant doctor when he wanted to be. He could beautifully sutureany surgical incisions when he felt like it, and he could easily prepare prescriptions all by himself if he found the energy. However, those times were rare, and even if Leon was lucky enough to catch Seifer on one of his erratic bursts of motivation, he still didn't like the idea of Seifer working on _him._

Suddenly feeling light headed, Leon motioned for Cloud to come closer to the bed. Cloud did so, and watched curiously.

"Look up there, at that monitor," Leon whispered, caught between exhaustion and panic.

"Yeah, I see it."

"What does it say?" He breathed hoarsely.

"...It' s got a long, green, squiggly line."

"Not that one. The one below it."

"...It says 117 over 75. Why, does that mean you're going to die?" The question dripped curiosity rather than concern.

"No, it means I can go to sleep and probably wake up."

"Oh." He watched Leon drift off, then added, "that's good."

* * *

Riku had just left Sora's roomwhen Cloud entered the hallway. They intersected right before the lobby. 

"Oh, hi." Cloud greeted. Riku looked shocked. Cloud had been missing for ages and _this_ was where he found him? Cloud was already moving on his way, and Riku caught up. Together they went back to their humble gift shop.

The area looked as though a tornado and a hurricane had tied in a duel, only for an earthquake to tear through and silence both of them. Chairs were overturned, and papers lay askew. There were nurses huddled behind the reception desk while the receptionists hid behind the nurses. The gift shop wasn't completely destroyed, though Riku was miffed that his neatly stacked cups had been knocked over.

"Huh." Cloud mused while picking through the crowd of people. "Things have settled down a bit, don't you think?"

Riku nodded in agreement. It was true. No one was trying to overturn the hospital anymore. (Apparently they had completed the job.) The guests had more or less settled down—a few were even sitting—and the riots were nonexistent.

Either hope was restored, or everyone had accepted that their demise was in the near future; Cloud wasn't quite sure on the mood yet.

Riku positioned himself on the counter, and Cloud plopped down beside him. He gave Riku a once over and noticed that his usual air of collectiveness was somehow missing. He seemed almost deflated. Cloud took the liberty of telling him as much.

"Thanks." Riku replied dryly.

"No problem."

"Ugh..."

"So, what happened that I should know about?"

"Nothing."

"Alright, then what happened that I _shouldn't_ know about?"

"Stop that. I was just a little worried about Sora, that's all."

"Assuming that you're not now?"

"Yes."

Cloud frowned. "So why do you look like a deflated balloon?"

"I do not."

"Actually, you do."

Riku rolled his eyes. "I want to go talk to Leon. To see if Sora's recovery is going to be soon."

"I'm sure it'll be sometime before Leon's."

Riku gawked. "What do you mean?"

"He's sick too. Isn't that ironic? I twas thinking about how ironic it is for a doctor to—"

"Cloud! This is serious! Who's going to help take care of all these people? More importantly, who's going to help take care of Sora?"

"Everyone, including Sora will be fine. Were you not here when the vaccinations were given out?"

"...Oh yeah."

"And it's not like there aren't other—though few—capable people here."

Riku nodded in agreement. Perhaps Cloud was right for once.

* * *

Woot! Please review, all are appreciated! 


	12. Resume

Happy holidays everyone! Thank you for joining me in the final chapter of "Rose Tinted". I couldn't be happier! I don't know when I'll put finger to keyboard again as of yet, I'm taking a short break. I can finally watch cartoons on Saturday mornings! Really people, there's nothing better than sitting on one's duff with a bowl of cold cereal, (a burrito, or day old pizza) to watch (insert random cartoon that I'm way too old to be watching.) On to the thank-you's

**Aquila Strife**- Thank you so much for your thoughts! Yes, it is the last chapter and I heave a heavy sigh of relief. Another story? Hmmm...

**Childhood Aspirations_-_**Thank you for your review! I'm glad you found it amusing. My goal for the end of the year has been set! Hehe!

**Wends-**Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've been trying my hardest to restrain myself, but I simply must ask: Are you in the Navy? I just know I've just overstepped some boundary by asking...but you mention the sea all the time, and...well...if you are, that's so awesome! We'll leave it at that. Anyway, sorry about my lack of identifiers. I will try harder!

Alright, now that the thank-you's are finished, on with the story! I own nothing.

* * *

"I really don't want to be here."

"I know."

"I really, really, don't want to be here."

"I know."

"I really, really, really—"

"Will you shut up?!" Riku shouted. "Go help Sora in the back."

Cloud fell off the stool, hitting his head against the shelf of stuffed animals. "I'm _not _going back there."

Riku held his arms akimbo. "Then go work the counter. Just go somewhere!"

"Fine," he patted his apron clean, then stalked off to the front of the counter. The day had already gotten off to a perfect start.

Situating himself comfortably on another stool, he leaned back to his usual position against the rack of stuffed animals on the wall. Had any of them been something people actually wanted, then he might have been more careful with his habits.

However...

None of them had been sold in over a month, so Cloud saw it fit to use them as pillows.

Rocking the stool legs only enough to amuse himself, his gaze indifferently fell over the people in the lobby.

Nurses scurried back and forth like chickens on the farm, and receptionists were answering phones with mechanical repetitiveness. It was the everyday, hum-drum, mediocrity that made Cloud want to pull his hair out.

A woman approached him and he acknowledged her with an eyebrow raise.

"What can I help you with?"

She furrowed her eyebrows at his less than _attentive_ posture, but proceeded to tell him anyway. "Yes, well, you see, my daughter just had a beautiful baby boy, and, well—"

"—Did you want flowers or something?" He snorted. He hated life stories, and he heated them even more when they involved children; especially the newborn variety.

"Oh, yes, that's exactly what I wanted, but I'm not sure what type to get."

Cloud snorted again and leaned a little bit further back on the stool. He could just barely see the open door in the back of the store. Sora was more than likely in there sorting out those miserable growing menaces. "Sora! You need to exercise your skills out here," he coughed then added quietly, "Because _I'm_ certainly not going to do it."

Moments later, Sora emerged, his apron smudged with pollen, chlorophyll and water. Giving Cloud a glower, he settled himself behind the counter. "What do you want?"

"This lady wants to buy one of your heinous bean sprouts."

"They aren't heinous Cloud, they're nature's works of art!"

"Whatever."

He turned to the lady with a smile. "Well, I just finished a bouquet of geraniums, but if you're looking for something a little simpler, I suggest the ever popular robin's nest."

The woman looked pleased. "Well, my daughter just had a baby."

Cloud fought back an eye roll.

Sora rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "A baby...hmm, well, I can't think of anything that would suit the occasion better than an arrangement of carnations, baby's breath and—"

"Great, you've decided." Cloud interrupted, not sure he could stand another moment of the conversation. "Go get it."

Sora shot him a dirty look. "I'll be right back." He skipped off to the room where he spent the majority of his time, leaving Cloud and the woman to stare at each other with increasing disapproval.

Sora returned moments later, arms filled with a freshly cut bouquet and a smile on his face. "Here they are. Enjoy!"

Cloud shied away from the dastardly mop of weeds, trying to avoid even the smallest whiff of their stench.

Gratefully taking the arrangement, the woman opened her purse. "Thank you young man, you've been a wonderful help. How much is it?"

"$24.75." Cloud muttered, sticking out his hand.

The woman noted Cloud's outstretched hand with a hint of apprehension, but never the less handed him her credit card.

"Great. Here." Almost before the machine finished processing, he snatched her receipt from it and returned her credit card. "Have a nice day."

"Cloud!" Sora elbowed him in the ribs. "Stop being so...the way you are."

"Then _you_ stop being so cheerful."

"It's part of the job!"

"I didn't see that anywhere on the description."

Sora sighed. "I don't believe you sometimes."

"Yeah, well, sometimes I don't believe you—"

There was a groan from the back of the store, and a moment later, Riku appeared holding a clip board. "What's going on up here? It's really hard to do inventory when you two are screaming at each other."

"Cloud started it."

"Did not."

Riku pinched the bridge of his nose. "Cloud, are you being rude to the customers again?"

"Yes," Sora replied, latching onto Riku's arm. "I think you should fire him!"

Riku put his hand on Sora's hair and mussed it a little. "I can't do that. He's strong enough to lift the heavy crates."

Cloud scowled at both of them.

"Why don't you help me in the back, Sora? We'll leave Cloud up here, but if he messes up again, I will personally scold him."

"Really?" Sora's eyes lit up as the two of them headed away from the front desk. "Can I help?"

Cloud didn't hear the reply, but he was sure Riku had given an affirmative.

Whatever.

Sora recovered quickly. Riku and he had been nearly inseparable since Sora had come out of the hospital—so to speak—and it was only heightened when Riku moved all of his inventory books to the flower room. Sora was elated about the attention. He stuck to Riku almost constantly, pulling on his arm, chatting with him, and when the time came, he whined to him, guaranteeing the boy almost anything he wanted. In most cases, it involved Cloud being punished.

Riku waved him off when Cloud brought the subject to him, saying he didn't know what he was talking about and that Sora and he were always that way. Cloud in return snorted, claiming that Riku was just blind to his own actions, and that resulted in a two hour containment in the flower room.

As of then, he was officially terrified of anything green and blossoming.

Aside from that, Riku seemed to be in a noticeably nicer mood since the incident. He wasn't the sour type anyway, but over the past few days, he seemed to be brighter. Cloud wondered if Riku had adopted some of the cheerfulness from Sora, as the boy never seemed to run low.

Yeah, that was probably it.

Cloud yawned, taking his previous position against the wall of stuffed animals. So went another slow day, he thought glumly. He found himself feeling bored...again.

Days at the gift shop had resumed their usual slow pace, mirthful only briefly when Cloud took his self decided breaks. He was glad that the lobby wasn't packed with the ashy faced inhabitants that moaned constantly about their illness.

But he supposed that anything would have been boring compared to back then. After all, with the feeling of panic hanging thick in the air for days, it was hard for one to relax properly against a wall of stuffed animals to which one was accustomed. Things were calmer now.

Cloud had forgotten how dull it was.

Unlike Riku or Sora, Cloud decided that he hadn't really gone through any major changes that he could reflect on. He was still the glass-eyed, unwilling employee of the floral shop that would have done almost anything to get a more masculine job. Cloud hadn't come to some bright realization that he should treat humans with greater respect, or that he should be more charitable. He feuded with Sora on a regular basis, and he made conscious efforts to give Riku a hard time. He wasn't nicer, or more pleasant, if anything, his fuse was shorter, but maybe he was just having a bad couple of days.

He had a lot of those.

In fact, the only thing that changed was that he maybe...possibly...could have...slightly...almost...kind of...felt a little, teeny, tiny bit more appreciative of a certain brunette doctor...but that was only because he saw what the guy had to go through. That was it.

And what had happened to that man anyway? Sure, Cloud caught glimpses of him darting around the back hallways of the hospital, filling out prescriptions or checking out the latest patient claiming that they had Diphtheria, but he hadn't come over to the shop for his routine cup of coffee.

Perhaps the bacteria had burned the taste buds from his tongue and he hadn't the pallet for cheap gourmet coffee. Or maybe he just didn't feel like fraternizing with his favorite blonde antagonist. Either way, Cloud was a little curious to find out why.

They hadn't really said anything to each other since the day Cloud had so _valiantly_ rescued him from _certain doom and destruction._ After Cloud left with Riku, the doctor apparently got up on his own to once again tend to his patients, although Cloud wasn't sure exactly when that was. Perhaps that blonde doctor, Dr. Almasy, was responsible for the quick recovery of Leon. Come to think of it, Cloud hadn't seen him much either... Well, he had no way of knowing, after all, he had confined himself behind the counter at the gift shop, making sure no one would try to steal his coffee maker. He eyed it wryly.

There was approximately half a cup left.

He sighed, taking out the cannister of coffee. Once he took the last bit—he was most certainly going to—he would need to make more, or Riku was sure to yell at him. Setting up the machine, Cloud wondered if it was really worth the half a cup still sitting at the bottom of the pot. If he just left if there, he wouldn't have to go through all of the work.

Moments later, the pot was brewing and Cloud was stirring multiple packets of sugar into his cup. Riku would have his head on a silver platter later on, but for now, he wasn't going to bother worrying about it.

"I don't think that anyone's going to buy anymore flowers this late at night," Sora said with a yawn. "I guess I'll pack things away."

"Good idea," Riku said tapping his pen on his clipboard. "I'll help you." The two headed back into the store room.

* * *

It was late, almost time for the gift shop to close. Cloud was barely conscious at the front desk; he had tired himself out being bored. Suddenly startled by the clamor of boxes being moved about in the back, he rubbed his eyes and sat up. This was his favorite time of night, and he was about to miss it.

It was the time when the janitor came out of his dusty den in the back of the hospital to sweep up after grimy patients. It was the time when only half the lights flickered down the hall, cutting through the darkness of the sunless sky. It was the time when Cloud could truly appreciate the smell of disinfectant.

It was closing time.

Cloud stretched, reveling in his enjoyment. He could go home and crash on his bed, completely forgetting the trials and tribulations of another boring day at work, or perhaps he could situate himself in front of the TV for late night talk shows he would never admit to watching. Both choices seemed wonderful in comparison to spending another lazy minute nodding off at the counter.

"Excuse me, but could I get a cup of coffee?"

Cloud stopped mid stretch to peer at the person addressing him.

It was none other than that scarcely seen doctor Leon.

He scratched his mop of dark hair, eying Cloud expectantly. Cloud however drummed his fingers _near_ the stack of cups. It was about time.

"Well, well, well, what brings you here, and at closing time too?" Cloud didn't even try to hide his smirk.

"I believe I've already addressed why." Leon replied dryly.

"I'm afraid you're a little too late. All the coffee's been thrown out."

"Is that so?" Leon asked eying the half full pot of coffee on the counter. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to settle for that _other_ brown liquid."

Cloud didn't know why, maybe it was because of the slow day he had, but he wanted now more than ever to start trouble. "That's raw sewage."

"I'll take my chances."

Cloud shrugged and plucked a cup from the stack, pouring coffee in until it was half full. "Cream and sugar?"

"No."

Cloud ripped a few packets open with his teeth and dumped the contents into the cup; grin widening when Leon frowned. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, actually it will."

"Great." Cloud then proceeded to drink the cup in one gulp, trying to ignore the painful burning sensation as it slid down his throat. At least he was quick to discover that drinking hot coffee was not a good idea by any stretch of the imagination. He straightened his throat. "Would you like another cup?"

Leon didn't say anything for a moment, but then a smirk appeared on his face as well. "Were you aware that the burning of the back of the throat can lead to severe infection? Of course this action has to be continuous, but I wonder what you would do if I ordered another cup of coffee..."

Cloud frowned and slammed another cup on the counter. "That'll be six forty nine."

"The last time I paid it was—"

"I know exactly how much I charge for coffee. You're paying for the cup _I_ drank."

"...No."

Cloud shrugged. "Well, I can't give you coffee that you don't pay for. I guess I'll just have to keep this one for myself too."

"There's a gas station across the street that serves even better coffee, without the added antagonizing."

"Why you—"

"Cloud!" Riku yelled from the back. "Stop causing problems!"

Cloud sighed, sweeping the sugar packets off the counter. "So where have you been anyway? It's been a while since I've seen your face around here."

"I've been busy...something you would know little about."

"What?! I'm trying to be polite here! It's called pleasant interest."

"It's commendable, really, it is. Sorry I don't have anything more interesting to offer."

"I don't really care. That's the catch. I just wanted to make sure you didn't keel over or something."

"Keel over?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Yes, _keel over, _you know, pass out unexpectedly?"

"Why would I..."

"Iddiot!" Cloud shouted, nearly knocking over the other cup of coffee. "You were sick, I didn't know if Almasy screwed you up or not." He folded his arms.

"Oh," Leon looked a little bemused. "How kind of you."

"It's unbelievable, I'm sure."

Leon shrugged, taking the cup off the counter. Well, as you can see, I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Cloud shorted. "Have a terrible day."

"You've made that possible." With that, he turned away, leaving Cloud at the counter to finish off the last of the coffee himself.

"I was afraid I was going to have to come out here," Riku said, locking the other door behind him.

"Shut up."

Sora was, as usual, attached to Riku's arm, grinning from ear to ear. "Let's go home!"

Cloud shrugged, pulling off his apron and setting his hat on the hook. For a day that had started off so mundane, he actually felt the slightest bit...better.

* * *

T-T I must say, it's not one of my best endings, but you know what? There it is. As promised, Here's a brief overview of Diphtheria. Note: All information gathered from random sources, and are not from my previous knowledge.

Diphtheria comes from a strain of bacteria called Corynebacterim diphtheriae. It affects the respiratory system, but it can also affect the skin. The symptoms (mild fever, fast pulse, headache, swelled throat tissues, and a thick membrane in the back of the throat) are caused when the bacterium releases a toxin. A particular strain of the bacteria produces a toxin that also affects the nasal passage way, in which it produces a sort of bad smelling, blood stained discharge. Needless to say, this is NOT the type I used, because...well...ew.

Actually, there are some other details I left out. For instance, though the disease is very contagious, it needs an incubation of three to five days before anything really happens. I didn't have that kind of time, so I fast forwarded a little, hehheh... Let's see, after the United Kingdom launched an immunization program, Diphtheria is pretty much gone there, (there have only been two deaths since 1972) but in the former Soviet Union, there was an epidemic in 1994.

One more slightly important thing...um...well, hehheh, the chances of someone catching diphtheria in a _hospital_ are pretty slim to none. That was a little overdramatizing on my part. It's usually spread in places with poor sanitation, and I highly doubt that Leon would allow the hospital to drop into such a condition. Have you noticed no one died? That's partly because I hate killing people, and partly because...the death rate is, at maximum, 10.

There you have it. Secrets exposed. Don't think any less of me, PLEASE!! I hope to see you all later on, after the New Year. In the mean time, read Muddled Lines. It's good stuff! Happy Holidays everyone!!


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